With a population of just 150,000, Curacao has smashed Iceland’s record as the country with the fewest inhabitants (350,000) to reach a World Cup.  Curacao covers an area of ​​roughly 440 square kilometers (171 square miles), making it about six times smaller than Rhode Island, the smallest US state.

Curacao is best known for its beaches and diving spots as well as a liqueur named after it. Baseball, not football, is the top sport on the island, which has sent around 15 players to the Major Leagues in the United States. Probably their most famous is Andruw Jones, who after spending 17 seasons in the majors was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York this year.

“Football used to be much bigger here. From the 1960s through the 80s, everyone watched it,” Curacao sports reporter Carl Ruiter told DW.

Ten teams compete in Curacao’s top football league, the Prome Divishon. A domestic cup competition was established last year.

Undefeated in qualifying

World Cup qualifying gave football on the island a major boost. The stadiums were packed for the final home games.

“It’s a sign that the whole nation was truly invested — desperate to reach the World Cup and eager to support our national team,” Ruiter said.

The World Cup’s expansion to 48 teams clearly made it much easier for footballing minnows like Curacao to qualify, but still, their campaign was remarkable as the team went unbeaten throughout.

They went into their final match in Jamaica needing just a draw to qualify. With the score level at 0-0 in stoppage time though, Jamaica were awarded a penalty. However, to the team’s and fan’s relief, the decision was over turned after a VAR review and Curacao were through. After the final whistle, the players shed tears of joy.

“We made the impossible possible,” striker Kenji Gorre shouted into the cameras. “I’m at a loss for words. A dream is coming true.”

Euphoria on the island

“I was in Kingston for the match,” Ruiter said. “We didn’t sleep.”

Back home, fans danced the night away, complete with fireworks and a parade of cars. The team was welcomed by fans the following day.

“World Cup qualifying has really united our country,” he said.

People are clearly proud of the national team and players like captain Leandro Bacuna have become role models for youngsters who now want to play football themselves.

Most players from the Netherlands

But where does the success of the team ranked 82nd in the FIFA world rankings come from? In fact, the national team has only existed since 2011. This is linked to the country’s history, as Curacao was once a Dutch colony. In 1954, it became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands — alongside Aruba and Bonaire — as part of the Netherlands Antilles, complete with its own football team. In 2010, Curacao gained autonomy, with its own government, parliament and, ultimately, football team.

In January 2024, veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat took charge of the team and recruited players from his homeland. This was possible because everyone from Curacao holds Dutch passports by default. However, to be eligible to represent the country, a player’s parents or grandparents must have been born on the island.

Midfielder Tahith Chong is one of the few players actually born in Curacao. Most of the others hail from the Netherlands; many were trained in Europe and play there as well. 

Connection to the fans

However, the players are not viewed as mercenaries with no ties to Curacao, Ruiten said.

“Many vacation here regularly and have family here. Most, if not all, speak the local language, Papiamento.”

Fans are now preparing to travel to the United States for the historic first match against their biggest opponent to date: Germany. Ecuador and Ivory Coast are the other teams in Group E. Members of the diaspora in the Netherlands and the United States are also expected to turn out to cheer on their team.

Coaching changes just before the World Cup

However, a hitch emerged just weeks before the World Cup, when Advocaat resigned after his daughter had become seriously ill. He was succeeded by Fred Rutten, also an internationally experienced Dutch coach. But the team lost its first two matches under Rutten.

In May though, with the health situation of Advocaat’s daughter having improved, he again became available. Rutten quickly announced his resignation.

“An atmosphere must not be allowed to develop that undermines healthy professional relationships within the team and the coaching staff,” he explained in a statement issued by the Curacao FA. Media reports suggest that players and sponsors had been clamoring to get Advocaat back.

Advocaat, 78, is now set to become the oldest person ever to coach at a men’s World Cup. That record was broken twice on the tournament’s opening day, first by Hugo Broos of South Africa, who is 74, then later by Czechia coach Miroslav Koubek, who is also 74 but a few months older.

“We have proven that we are difficult to beat,” Advocaat recently told the Reuters news agency.

“But the opponents in this group are of a different quality, of course. We know it will be very difficult, but nothing is impossible.”

This article was originally published in German.