Faroe Islands stunned Czechia with a 2-1 victory on Sunday, boosting their slim chances of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup.
Currently ranked 136th in the world, Faroe Islands secured their third consecutive win, putting pressure on their qualification efforts in Group L.
They took the lead with Hanus Sorensen’s impressive goal in the 67th minute, but when Adam Karabec equalized just 11 minutes later, it appeared they would have to settle for a draw.
However, Faroe Islands quickly shifted the momentum just three minutes later, with Martin Agnarsson capitalizing on poor Czech defense to clinch a vital win.
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Following a 4-0 triumph over Montenegro last Thursday, which ranks as their joint-second biggest victory in history, Faroe Islands have surged into unexpected contention for a World Cup berth in the U.S.
They currently sit in third place in the group, having won their last three matches, just one point behind Czechia, who hold second place and the associated playoff spot.
Unbeaten Croatia leads the group by three points and boasts a remarkable goal difference of +19, having conceded just one goal—15 goals ahead of both Czechia and Faroe Islands.
For Faroe Islands to transform their remarkable run into World Cup qualification, they will need a positive result against Croatia next month while hoping Czechia stumbles against Gibraltar, a team that has yet to secure a win in World Cup qualifiers.
With a population of only 54,719, if Faroe Islands accomplishes this remarkable feat, they would become the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, surpassing Iceland’s record from 2018 when they qualified with a population of 335,000.