Why Hong Kong Is Obsessed with the World Cup

When the FIFA World Cup arrives, Hong Kong doesn’t sleep — it strategises.

Bars in Wan Chai fill up at 3am. Office lifts replay goals on loop. WhatsApp groups dissect refereeing decisions like seasoned pundits.

And in World Cup 2026 — the first 48-team edition — the scale was historic. By the end of the group stage, match attendance had surpassed 4.6 million spectators, already breaking previous tournament records. Earlier in the tournament, FIFA confirmed an average crowd of 65,483 per match across the opening days. Fan Festivals across host cities also drew in over 5.5 million visitors during the group stage alone.

While the likes of Spain and Argentina brought in their usual crowds, Hong Kong’s neutral fans found themselves mesmerised by smaller nations — countries with populations smaller than many global cities — standing tall on football’s biggest stage.

Here are the five smallest countries by population at the 2026 World Cup — and how their campaigns unfolded.

Population: ~185,000
FIFA Ranking (June 11, 2026): 82nd
Location: Southern Caribbean
GDP: ~US$3 billion
Main Industries: Tourism, oil refining, financial services

Curaçao became the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup.

With a FIFA ranking of 82nd entering the tournament, they were statistically among the lowest-ranked teams in the field — and by far the smallest in population.

The Curaçao squad earned their first-ever World Cup point but were eliminated in the group stage after a decisive defeat to Ivory Coast.

Under FIFA’s 2026 financial distribution model, even teams eliminated in the group stage (positions 33–48) earned USD 9 million in prize money, plus a preparation payment — guaranteeing at least USD 10.5 million per team.

For a nation of under 200,000 people, even scoring and competing on this stage was historic — and financially transformative.

Hong Kong takeaway: Small population. Big courage.

Population: ~500,000
FIFA Ranking (June 2026): 51st (entered tournament as a mid-tier African side)
Location: Atlantic islands off West Africa
GDP: ~US$2–3 billion
Main Industries: Tourism, fisheries, remittances

Cabo Verde was one of the smallest nations ever to qualify for the tournament.

The underdogs captivated and stunned the world by advancing to the knockout stage in their debut.

The team secured qualification after:

In the Round of 32, they faced Argentina.

Round of 32 teams (positions 17–32) earned USD 11 million in prize money, in addition to preparation payments.

Despite elimination, fans noted their remarkable achievement of having exited without losing a single World Cup match in regular time.

For half a million people, reaching the knockouts was seismic — competitively and financially.

Hong Kong takeaway: This kind of against-all-odds story is why we stay up late!

Population: ~3.2 million
FIFA Ranking (June 2026): 39th
Location: Southeast Europe
GDP: ~US$27–30 billion
Main Industries: Manufacturing, metals, energy

Bosnia qualified for their second World Cup (their first appearance being back in 2014).

They beat Qatar 3–1 in a crucial group match and progressed to the Round of 32 for the first time.

Like Cabo Verde, Bosnia earned USD 11 million for reaching the Round of 32.

For a country still rebuilding from post-war fragmentation, reaching the knockouts marked a major sporting milestone.

Hong Kong takeaway: A resilient side whose performance was an inspiration to neutral fans.

Population: ~2.7 million
FIFA Ranking (June 2026): 58th
Location: Middle East
GDP: ~US$235 billion
Main Industries: Natural gas, oil, finance

Qatar qualified through AFC competition, not as hosts.

They suffered a damaging 3–1 defeat to Bosnia.

As a group-stage team, Qatar received USD 9 million in prize money, plus preparation funding.

For a country that hosted the competition in 2022, 2026 was a humbling reminder of how unforgiving tournament football can be.

Population: ~3.4 million
FIFA Ranking (June 2026): 14th
Location: South America
GDP: ~US$70 billion
Main Industries: Agriculture, beef exports, services

Two-time World Cup winners. Football royalty.

And yet, remarkably, one of the smallest nations in South America.

In a surprise upset, Uruguay were eliminated in the group stage — finishing third in Group H with two points.

Their elimination meant a group-stage payout of USD 9 million, far below the USD 50 million awarded to the eventual champions.

For Hong Kong fans, Uruguay’s early exit was one of the tournament’s biggest shocks.

A football giant by history.
A small nation by population.
Proof that pedigree doesn’t guarantee progression.

The 2026 World Cup distributed a record USD 727 million to participating federations — a 50% increase from 2022.

Prize breakdown:

Every team also received preparation funding, guaranteeing at least USD 10.5 million per federation.

For smaller nations like Curaçao and Cabo Verde, those sums represent years of domestic football budgets.

Hong Kong may only be of a humble size, but its people are competitive and globally connected.

In a tournament averaging over 65,000 fans per match and already breaking all-time attendance records, scale has never been bigger.

Amongst the cacophony of football titans battling it out for the top prize, there is a beauty in how the stories that travelled furthest were of the feats accomplished by the smallest nations.

When Curaçao steps onto the pitch…
 When Cabo Verde reaches the knockouts…
 When Bosnia rises…
 When Uruguay stumbles despite prior glory…

It feels relatable.

The World Cup isn’t just about trophies.

It’s a showcase of scale versus raw ambition.
Identity and personal belief versus statistical improbabilities.
 

As our unlikely cleat-wearing heroes have shown, size doesn’t define destiny.

Perhaps this is why Hong Kongers remain obsessed with the World Cup – we’ll always root for David over Goliath.