Curaçao is set to make its netherlands world cup debut as the smallest nation ever, by size and population, to reach the tournament. The island’s first appearance comes after a qualifying run that carried it through four games unbeaten and into Group E with Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast.
Gilbert Martina and blue island
Gilbert Martina said the reaction at home has been overwhelming. “It brings so much joy and pride to the island that you can't describe it. The whole island is turning blue,” the Curacao Football Federation president said.
The island has a population of 158,000 and is smaller than the Isle of Man. It is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but its squad for the World Cup is built mostly from players born on the mainland Netherlands rather than on the island itself.
Leandro Bacuna and the squad
Only one player in Curacao’s World Cup squad, Tahith Chong, was born on the island. The other 25 players were born in the mainland Netherlands, and 18 in the group have represented the Netherlands at youth levels.
Leandro Bacuna, the captain, said the team has grown into this moment over the past decade. “People look at us always having fun and dancing. We are all together. But as soon as the referee blows the whistle we have one thing on our mind - getting a result,” he said in a pre-match news conference.
He added: “We've done something so nice for Curacao. I started this journey 10 years ago and wanted to make the people from Curacao proud.” Bacuna also said: “The manager keeps saying we are not finished. We want to show people as small as we are, we have a big heart. If you have a big heart I believe you can get far.”
Dick Advocaat in Houston
Dick Advocaat, 78, will become the oldest boss in World Cup history when Curacao meet Germany on Sunday at 18:00 BST in Houston. The team’s route here began in 2015, when Patrick Kluivert was hired and the national side shifted toward diaspora players.
Eloy Room was the first member of this squad to play for Curacao that year, and Bacuna followed in 2016. Riechedly Bazoer and Joshua Brenet have also won senior caps for the Netherlands, giving Curacao a squad with more top-level experience than its size might suggest.
Thousands of Blue Wave fans are expected for the debut, and some are taking same-day charter flights from the island to Houston. Curacao now carries that turnout, and a place in Group E, into a first World Cup appearance built on four qualifying wins, an unbeaten second round, and a squad that has turned a small island into a tournament presence.
