Dick Advocaat has agreed to return and lead Curaçao into the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. The legendary Dutch manager has already made history by making the island the smallest by both population and land mass to ever qualify for a World Cup. Now, he’ll lead his team onto the field.
Qualification marked a historic high for Curaçaoan football. A decade ago, the island was ranked 150th in the world. Now, it’s ranked 82nd, and is heading to its first World Cup. The return of Advocaat as manager will give the team a huge boost heading into the tournament, and improve the Curaçao’s odds when Novig’s prediction markets for the World Cup launch.
The move also ensures Curaçao can once again focus on football, and leave the tumultuous period between Advocaat’s resignation and return in the past.
Change of circumstances allows for Advocaat’s return
Advocaat missed Curaçao’s final qualifier against Jamaica for personal reasons, entrusting stewardship of his team to assistants Dean Gorré and Cor Pot. The game ended 0-0, enough to send Curaçao to the World Cup, however Advocaat’s private situation meant he never returned. He eventually resigned in February to focus solely on personal matters.
Fellow Dutch manager Fred Rutten took control of the team, however the relationship quickly soured. There were severe disagreements with key players, and a disastrous March international window saw the team lose 2-0 to China, then 5-1 to Australia.
With Dutch airline Corendon, the team’s main sponsor, threatening to stop funding, and the team openly demanding Advocaat’s return, Curaçao had no choice but to relieve Rutten of his duties.
The personal issues which forced Advocaat’s resignation in February had also eased, making the decision to return him as manager simple.
At 78 years old, Advocaat will be the oldest ever head coach to lead a team at the World Cup. He’ll need all of his experience and veteran wiles too, with Curaçao facing a tough group.
Curaçao ready to face football’s giants
Curaçao are ranked 82nd in the world, making the team the third-lowest at the World Cup. Only Haiti (83rd) and New Zealand (85th) are ranked below the island, though both have much larger populations that Curaçao’s 150,000.
The Blue Wave were drawn in Group E for the World Cup, alongside Germany (10th), Ecuador (23rd) and Côte d’Ivoire (34th). With a gulf of 48 ranking places between Curaçao and the next team in the group, qualification will be a big ask. Advocaat’s players may need to settle on securing a World Cup moment rather than qualification to the knockout stage.
However, one factor working in Curaçao’s favor that could aid them in qualifying for the knockout stages is the World Cup’s new, expanded format. There are 48 teams competing for the first time. This means that the eight best performing third-place teams will progress alongside the top two finishers in each group.
If Advocaat’s return can inspire his team to just one or two good results, it’s entirely possible that the new format could open up a pathway for Curaçao’s World Cup dream to go on a little longer.
