With a population of 55,000, a coach who writes crime novels and a squad of part-time players, tiny Faroe Islands has a stunning shot at qualifying for the World Cup.

The odds are still stacked against the team ranked 127th by FIFA. But it has defied the odds to be in contention.

Even beating mighty Croatia on Friday in its last group qualifier would not guarantee a place in the playoffs for next year’s tournament. For that, the Faroe Islands must also better the other group result of second-placed Czech Republic, which plays last-placed Gibraltar.

Nonetheless, this is unchartered territory for a nation that used to be routinely rolled over by European rivals. An unlikely run of wins has fired belief it could be about to achieve what was once unthinkable.

“We are Faroese. Shaped by the

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