Faroe Islands shocked Czechia with a 2-1 win on Sunday that to give them a faint hope of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup.
Ranked No. 136 in the world, Faroe Islands won their third match on the spin to overcome the Czechs and apply pressure for qualification in Group L.
They took the lead through Hanus Sorensen’s well-taken goal after 67 minutes but when Adam Karabec equalised 11 minutes later it seemed they would have to settle for a point.
It took Faroe Islands just three minutes to change the dynamic of the match, and Group L, this time with Martin Agnarsson making the most of some shoddy Czech defending to hand them a hugely important victory.
– 2026 World Cup: Who has qualified, and how the rest can make it
– Tuchel’s Bellingham stance could help England at World Cup
– Football’s wildest 2025-26 kits: From unorthodox to unhinged
Following a 4-0 win over Montenegro on Thursday, the joint-second biggest win in Faroe Islands’ history, they have suddenly pulled themselves into unlikely contention for a spot at the World Cup in America.
They sit third in the group, having won their last three matches, just one point behind Czechia, who occupy second spot which results in a play-off place.
Unbeaten Croatia are three points clear at the top of the group and, having conceded one goal, have a goal difference of 19 — a massive 15 goals ahead of both Czechia and Faroe Islands.
For Faroe Islands to turn their incredible form into a spot at the World Cup, they will need to get a result against Croatia next month and hope that Czechia slip up against Gibraltar, a side who have never won a World Cup qualifier.
Faroe Islands have a population of just 54,719, which, if they were to achieve the unthinkable, would make them by far the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup, smashing Iceland’s record, after they qualified in 2018 with a population of 335,000.
