Curacao - the most unique team

Curacao is the smallest and youngest team, led by the oldest coach in World Cup history. They also possess many interesting unique characteristics.

That's the " Ha Lan Second Division" team.

With an area of ​​444 ^km² and a population of approximately 158,000 people, Curacao is the smallest country in history to have the honor of appearing in the World Cup finals. More precisely, it is an autonomous territory under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On the world football map, the name Curacao only appeared exactly 15 years ago (it joined FIFA and played its first international match in 2011).

In stark contrast to the youthfulness of Curacao football is the Dutch coach Dick Advocaat. At 78 years old, Advocaat is the oldest coach in World Cup history. This is his 11th time managing a national team (Netherlands 3 times, Curacao 2 times, and the rest being UAE, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Serbia, and Iraq).

Striker Tahith Chong (13) is the biggest star of the Curacao team at the 2026 World Cup.

PHOTO: AFP

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In fact, Advocaat has been coaching the Curacao team since 2024 and he is the one who shaped this historic Curacao squad. However, he took a short break for family reasons. Technically, he is the newest signing for the 2026 World Cup. He only returned to replace coach Fred Rutten on May 11th - exactly one month before the 2026 World Cup begins.

Every citizen of Curacao holds a Dutch passport. Of the 26 players on the Dutch national team for the World Cup, 25 were born in the Netherlands – exactly the same number as the Dutch players born in their home country (the Netherlands has one player born in Zambia). Striker Tahith Chong, a product of the Manchester United academy and former player for the club, is the only player born in Curacao, but he also emigrated to the Netherlands at the age of 10.

It's no surprise that all the technical characteristics of the Curacao national team at the 2026 World Cup reflect the Dutch style of football. They play in a 4-3-3 formation, focusing on ball possession, emphasizing attack, and valuing the role of wing players. While it's true that all Curacao players have risen through the ranks of youth academies steeped in the Dutch football spirit, it's also important to emphasize that they are led by a very traditional Dutch coach.

PLAYING STYLE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN INDIVIDUAL SKILL

Who the star is, or whether there are any stars in the Curacao team at all, is not very important. Of course, people will only see this team as a second-tier team. Their problem lies in their playing style and spirit, not in individual skill.

Coach Advocaat was merely the one who painstakingly built and trained this Curacao national team to perfection. However, former Dutch star Patrick Kluivert was the pioneering figure, having the greatest influence when he led the team from 2015 to 2016. Kluivert was the one who introduced the idea of ​​"Dutchifying" the Curacao national team. The challenge wasn't just finding talents of Curacao origin within Dutch football, but selecting the right players, persuading them to represent the national team, and uniting talents from all over into a truly cohesive team.

Advocaat completely agreed. Regardless of their background, of course, most professional players in the Netherlands only dream of playing for the Dutch national team. Convincing them to choose the Curacao national team, not because they feel overlooked by the Netherlands, is an art. Without Kluivert, there wouldn't be a Curacao team strong enough to attract Advocaat. Without Advocaat, the Curacao team wouldn't easily improve its level to qualify for the World Cup.

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Ultimately, does the "second-tier Netherlands" have what it takes to compete in the World Cup? Let's recall the first World Cup of the 21st century (2002). Senegal participated for the first time under circumstances where it was difficult to discern their identity. Like Curacao now, Senegal was then a collection of French players of Senegalese descent, playing for small clubs or in the second division. The result was that Senegal beat France in the opening match, leading to the defending champions being eliminated after the group stage. Ultimately, player quality isn't the only important factor; there are other ways to achieve victory without world-class stars.

Coach Advocaat confidently stated ahead of the World Cup: "Curacao can beat Germany. At least I'm preparing to achieve that result."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/curacao-doi-bong-doc-dao-nhat-185260607212541121.htm