Kansas City (AFP) – Curacao arrived at the World Cup as quirky no-hopers, but their remarkable exploits have captured the hearts of fans and put the tiny Caribbean island firmly on the map.
Issued on: 22/06/2026 - 00:20
4 min Reading time
Dick Advocaat's men, against all the odds, still have a chance to reach the knockout phase after holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City on Saturday.Goalkeeper Eloy Room proved an impregnable last line of defence, making 15 saves as Curacao held a team ranked more than 50 places higher than them to a stalemate. Fans, vastly outnumbered by yellow-clad Ecuador supporters, celebrated wildly in a stadium that can hold nearly half of Curacao's population of around 160,000.It was a dramatic turnaround after the World Cup newcomers were humiliated 7-1 in their opening match against Germany.
A Curacao fan supports his team at their World Cup match in Kansas City © JUAN MABROMATA / AFP
