The Faroe Islands pulled off one of the most remarkable results of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, defeating the Czechia 2-1 in Torshavn to keep their faint hopes of a play-off place alive.
Ranked 136th in the world, the Nordic minnows have now won three consecutive qualifiers and sit just one point behind second-placed Czechia in Group L, with one game remaining. It marks their best-ever qualification campaign, with four wins, surpassing their previous record of two.
Hanus Sorensen opened the scoring for the hosts with a superb strike, only for Adam Karabec to equalise for the visitors. But in the 81st minute, Martin Agnarsson capitalised on a defensive mix-up to score what proved to be the winner, sending the home crowd into raptures.
Despite the historic victory, the Faroes still face long odds to reach the play-offs. They must travel to group leaders Croatia on 14 November and secure another unlikely win. Meanwhile, the Czechia finish their campaign three days later against bottom side Gibraltar, who remain without a point.
With a population of just under 55,000, the Faroe Islands are already one of the smallest nations in UEFA and would become the smallest ever to qualify for a World Cup should they progress.
Their latest triumph also had implications for Croatia, whose 3-0 victory over Gibraltar later on Sunday put them three points clear of the Czechs and with a superior goal difference of 15, effectively sealing their place in the finals in North America.
