Tiny Curacao could be World Cup’s Cinderella

The smallest country ever to qualify for the tournament shouldn't be underestimated.

- By KEvIN BAXTER

CURACAO players celebrate the island nation's World Cup 2026 qualification after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica.

(RICARDO MAKYN AFP)

The tiny island of Curacao is the smallest country to ever reach a FIFA World Cup, an honor it earned with an unbeaten run through an 18-month qualifying tournament in which it outscored opponents by nearly 2½ goals a game.

But when it came time to introduce Curacao to the world during last Friday’s tournament draw, the “Great One” shot well wide of the net, stealing its glory.

“Ka-rak-ko,” Wayne Gretzky sputtered to a global TV audience FIFA estimated at more than a billion while drawing the country, which is pronounced koor-uwh-SOW, into Group E for next summer's tournament.

Few others are treating Curacao with such disregard.

“Every opponent deserves respect,” said German coach Julian Nagelsmann, whose team will face Curacao in its World Cup opener. “Curacao will be interesting to analyze. But we won't make the mistake of underestimating them.”

That’s wise, said Curacao coach Dick Advocaat, who promised he isn’t coming to the U.S. for vacation.

“No, definitely not,” he said. “Otherwise, I can go to Spain.”

That’s not just big talk on Curacao’s part. Though she be but little, she is fierce.

“We are difficult to beat,” said Advocaat who at 78 is set to become the oldest coach in World Cup history. “It is a hardworking team with good organization. If you have a good organization, you can still do something against better teams.”

Although Curacao’s schedule has traditionally been chock-full of soft opponents such as Aruba, Saint Lucia and Grenada, Curacao also thumped World Cup qualifier Haiti 5-1 and tied Canada in the last seven months. And it lost just once in last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.