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How a tiny island made 'impossible' World Cup history
The Guardian Weekly
|November 28, 2025
The delay in Dick Advocaat becoming Curaçao's head coach might have been ominous but instead it was the foundation for glory.
Frustrated by the national federation's financial problems, he deferred starting until January 2024, when the problems were resolved and players paid, paving the way for a historic World Cup qualifying campaign.
Curaçao will be the smallest nation - by land area and population - to play at the World Cup after their 0-0 draw in Jamaica last week. The Caribbean island has a population of 156,000, sinking the previous record holders, Iceland, which has about 400,000 inhabitants. Last month Cape Verde were confirmed as tournament debutants but the African nation is almost 10 times bigger by area than the former Dutch colony, showing the achievement by Advocaat and his squad.
"It's an impossibility that is made possible," the winger Kenji Gorré said from the team hotel in Jamaica. "It's literally impossible for such a small island, such a small 150,000 population, and now to go to the biggest pinnacle of football is unbelievable."
This story is from the November 28, 2025 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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