A Caribbean island with fewer than 200,000 people will line up against four-time World Cup champions Germany on June 14 in Houston. Curaçao’s debut on the biggest stage in football arrives under the guidance of Dick Advocaat, a 78-year-old Dutch coaching veteran who has made a career out of announcing his retirement and then immediately un-retiring.
Advocaat took the job in January 2024 on a one-year contract. The fact that he’s still here, preparing for a World Cup opener against Germany, tells you everything about how the man operates.
The road to Houston
Curaçao’s path to the 2026 World Cup was, by any measure, improbable. The team secured qualification on November 18, 2025, with a 0-0 draw away to Jamaica, locking down the top spot in their qualifying group.
Advocaat’s appointment was the catalyst. The Dutchman arrived with decades of top-level experience, having managed the Netherlands, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, and Serbia at various points in his career, along with club stints at Rangers, PSV Eindhoven, and Feyenoord.
