The Faroe Islands pulled off a stunning 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Sunday to keep their slim hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive.
Ranked 136th in the world, the Nordic islanders sit third in Group L, just one point behind the second-placed Czechs, with one match remaining in the race for a play-off spot.
In Torshavn, Hanus Sorensen opened the scoring for the hosts before Adam Karabec equalised for the visitors. But in the 81st minute, Martin Agnarsson capitalised on poor defending to fire home the decisive goal and secure a famous win.
The victory marked the Faroes’ third consecutive win and their fourth in the campaign — their best-ever performance in any World Cup qualification series.
With a population of fewer than 55,000, the Faroe Islands would become the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup if they manage to complete the fairytale run.
However, they face a daunting task when they travel to Croatia on 14 November, while the Czechs take on Gibraltar three days later.
Later on Sunday, Croatia strengthened their position at the top of the group with a 3-0 win over Gibraltar, moving three points clear of the Czechs with a superior goal difference of +15, effectively sealing their qualification.
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