Welcome to my World Cup 2026 travel guide — a new one every match day, with aviation facts about each country on the pitch. Day 4 is the monster: ten countries in one day, from a global flag carrier to the smallest nation that has ever played in a World Cup. So today I’m keeping each one tight — two facts apiece. And one of these matches is right here in my backyard.
Ten countries. I’ll be honest — the one I’m most excited about is Germany vs. Curaçao, and it’s playing right here at NRG Stadium in Houston, my home base. A pity that it’s raining and the Fan Zone is closed as a result. Because Curaçao is the headline aviation story of the entire group stage. Let’s get into all ten.
🇨🇼 Curaçao
Curaçao is the smallest nation ever to play in a World Cup — about 156,000 people on a 171-square-mile island in the southern Caribbean, 40 miles off Venezuela. It’s part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is why so many of its players come from the Dutch diaspora. I first visited back in the ’80s, long before it was on any World Cup radar — and for an aviation nerd, the remarkable part is just how connected this tiny island is and its quite rugged. Time to revisit.
Hato International (CUR) punches massively above its weight. You can fly nonstop from JFK (JetBlue), Newark (United), Miami and Charlotte (American), Atlanta (Delta), plus seasonal Chicago — and Air Canada (Montreal and Toronto) and WestJet from Toronto. KLM links the island to Amsterdam year-round, a direct legacy of the Dutch connection. A nation smaller than most US suburbs, tied into three global alliances. And fittingly, today’s match is in Houston — where my home airport, IAH, connects onward to that whole Caribbean web.
And the island runs its own corner of the sky: Divi Divi Air flies the Dutch ABC-island hops from Curaçao over to Bonaire (Flamingo) and Aruba (Beatrix) on Twin Otters, and reaches beyond the islands to St. Maarten and even the South American mainland at Barranquilla and Medellín. Z Air is also based at Hato. Proof that even a 156,000-person nation runs its own homegrown airlines.
🇩🇪 Germany
Lufthansa — one of the world’s great flag carriers, a founding member of Star Alliance, and the anchor of a group that also owns SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, and ITA. Its twin hubs are Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC), two of Europe’s most important gateways.
Lufthansa flies to Frankfurt and Munich from a long list of US and Canadian cities, with United and Air Canada adding Star Alliance frequency across the Atlantic. Frankfurt is one of the busiest airports in Europe and a connecting machine — if you’re routing onward into Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, odds are FRA can get you there.
🇳🇱 Netherlands
KLM — and here’s a fact worth its own headline: KLM is the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name, founded in 1919. It’s part of the Air France-KLM group and a SkyTeam member, hubbed at Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS).
Schiphol is one of the great connecting airports on Earth — a single massive terminal under one roof, consistently ranked among the world’s best, and the SkyTeam transatlantic stronghold via the Delta/Air France-KLM joint venture. KLM also connects to a huge number of US cities, plus — as we just saw — all the way to Curaçao. I’ve passed through Schiphol more times than I can count; it’s one of those airports that just works. I have also stopped in the Netherlands many times as well :-).
🇯🇵 Japan
Two of them, really — Japan Airlines (JAL, oneworld) and All Nippon Airways (ANA, Star Alliance), both consistently rated among the best airlines in the world for service. ANA is the larger of the two, and Tokyo’s two airports, Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT), split the traffic.
JAL and ANA blanket North America, with American and United adding oneworld and Star Alliance metal respectively, plus Delta flying its own routes to Tokyo. Haneda is the prize — it’s close to central Tokyo, and over the last few years more US nonstops have shifted there from the more distant Narita. Both of Japan’s carriers are a genuine pleasure to fly — the service is on another level, and I always look forward to a trip through Tokyo.
🇦🇺 Australia
Qantas — the “Flying Kangaroo,” a founding member of oneworld and one of the oldest continuously operating airlines in the world. It’s also long held a reputation as one of the safest. Its main international hub is Sydney (SYD).
Qantas flies some of the longest routes on the planet — including Dallas–Sydney, one of the longest passenger flights in the world at around 17 hours. And its “Project Sunrise” nonstops from Sydney to London and New York are due to launch soon, making them the longest commercial flights ever flown. Australian fans coming to North America made an epic journey — I’ve made the long haul down to Australia myself, and there’s nothing quite like watching the clock on a 15-plus-hour flight.
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Turkish Airlines — a Star Alliance member that flies to more countries than any other airline in the world, all from its enormous hub at Istanbul Airport (IST). For a fan trying to reach an obscure corner of the globe, Turkish is very often the answer.
Turkish serves a deep roster of US and Canadian cities nonstop to Istanbul, and United adds Star Alliance frequency. Istanbul Airport is one of the largest air hubs ever built — the connecting gateway between Europe, Asia, and Africa, and the same hub that keeps Sarajevo (from Day 2) connected to the world.
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast
Air Côte d’Ivoire, based in Abidjan (ABJ) — one of West Africa’s fastest-growing carriers, and the country has invested heavily in turning Abidjan into a regional hub to rival the bigger West African gateways.
No nonstops from North America — the classic routings are over Paris (Air France), or via other European and African hubs. Abidjan is well connected within Africa and to Europe, so fans typically transit through a European gateway to reach the tournament.
🇪🇨 Ecuador
Ecuador no longer has a flag carrier — the old TAME ceased operations in 2020. Today the market is served by private and regional airlines, with Quito (UIO) and Guayaquil (GYE) as the main gateways. Quito sits at over 9,000 feet, making it one of the highest-elevation international airports served by widebodies.
Good news for Ecuadorian fans: there are solid nonstops. American (Miami), United (Houston and Newark), Delta (Atlanta), Avianca, LATAM, and jetBlue connect the US to Quito and Guayaquil. Houston — again, my home hub — is one of the primary gateways.
🇸🇪 Sweden
SAS — Scandinavian Airlines, shared with Denmark and Norway as the flag carrier of all three. In a major shift, SAS left Star Alliance and joined SkyTeam in 2024 after Air France-KLM took a major stake. Its main hub is Copenhagen (CPH), with Stockholm (ARN) also a key hub.
SAS flies to Copenhagen and Stockholm from several US cities, and United serves Stockholm. With SAS now in SkyTeam, Delta connections through Copenhagen have become a natural route to Scandinavia.
🇹🇳 Tunisia
Tunisair, based in Tunis (TUN) — the North African flag carrier connecting Tunisia primarily to Europe, with France the dominant market thanks to deep historical ties.
No nonstops from North America — the standard play is over Paris, Frankfurt, Istanbul, or Rome. Tunisair and the big European carriers make the one-stop straightforward, but Tunisian fans, like several others today, traveled a long way to be here. Tunisia is the one country on today’s slate I’ve never quite reached — I came close on a Mediterranean cruise that was supposed to call there, but a security situation had us bypass the port at the last minute. Still on my list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the smallest country ever to play in a World Cup?
Curaçao, at the 2026 World Cup — an island of about 156,000 people in the southern Caribbean. It broke the record previously held by Iceland (around 352,000 when it qualified for 2018).
Can you fly nonstop from the US to Curaçao?
Yes — Curaçao (CUR) has nonstops from New York JFK (JetBlue), Newark (United), Miami and Charlotte (American), and Atlanta (Delta), plus seasonal Chicago. Air Canada and WestJet serve it from Toronto, and KLM flies to Amsterdam.
What is the national airline of Germany?
Lufthansa, a founding member of Star Alliance, with hubs in Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC). It also owns SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, and ITA Airways.
What is the oldest airline in the world?
KLM, the Dutch flag carrier, is the oldest airline still operating under its original name — founded in 1919. It’s hubbed at Amsterdam Schiphol and is part of SkyTeam.
What are the national airlines of Japan?
Japan has two major carriers: Japan Airlines (JAL, oneworld) and All Nippon Airways (ANA, Star Alliance). Both serve Tokyo’s two airports, Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT).
Which airline flies to the most countries?
Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline in the world, from its hub at Istanbul Airport (IST). It’s a Star Alliance member.
What is the national airline of Australia?
Qantas — the “Flying Kangaroo,” a founding Oneworld member and one of the oldest continuously operating airlines in the world, hubbed in Sydney. It flies Dallas–Sydney, one of the longest passenger routes in the world.
Does Ecuador have a national airline?
Not anymore — TAME ceased operations in 2020. Ecuador is served by private and international carriers through Quito (UIO) and Guayaquil (GYE), with nonstops from US cities including Miami, Houston, Newark, and Atlanta.
What alliance is SAS in now?
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) joined SkyTeam in 2024 after leaving Star Alliance, following an investment by Air France-KLM. It’s the flag carrier of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, hubbed in Copenhagen.
Tomorrow’s matchday
The World Cup 2026 travel guide continues tomorrow with Day 5 — Spain, Belgium, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and more take the pitch. Same format, more countries, more aviation facts. See you then.
Map routes with the Airline Network Explorer, check standby seat availability at FlightLoads, find rest options and lounge access with the Airport Sleep Finder, and go deeper with my Non-Rev Playbooks — all built by people who fly for a living.