Tears, anthems and history: Curaçao celebrate unlikely World Cup journey

Tears flowed and anthems were sung as Curaçao marked its unlikely journey to the World Cup. Coach Dick Advocaat, the oldest World Cup coach at 78, was visibly emotional before their debut match against Germany, a game that ended in a 7-1 defeat. He was moved again when Livano Comenencia scored Curaçao's first-ever World Cup goal. Advocaat emphasized that while the scoreline told one story, the team's journey to football's biggest stage told another. Curaçao, with a population of about 156,000, is the smallest nation to compete in the tournament. Despite the heavy loss to Germany, the squad feels no despair, having already rewritten the island's sporting history. "Obviously 7-1 is a major result, but we were playing a major team as well," Advocaat said. "It was also the first time we experienced this. A stadium this size, (Curacao players) usually only drive by, never play football there." He stressed the significance of the opportunity for the island and the team, calling their presence in the tournament "unfathomed." When Advocaat took over in January 2024, the team's setup was rudimentary. "The players had to pay for their own airplanes, we didn't have the facilities that are normally available to a national team," he recalled. A key initiative was ensuring all players, many of whom are Dutch-born with family ties to Curaçao, could sing the national anthem, "Himno di Korsou." "Everybody had to learn the anthem by heart, and everybody did so," Advocaat said. "It was very important." The coach, reflecting on his age and the team's achievement, stated, "At my age, with my personality, the emotion easily comes to the surface. Seeing how far we've come, that's something wonderful to experience." Comenencia, the 22-year-old right back, shared his pride in his historic goal, vowing to continue performing. Advocaat believes Curaçao's World Cup participation transcends the sport itself. "Everybody in Germany watched the (opening) match, and they've heard the word Curacao 100 times," he said. "Now they know where it is, they know what a beautiful island it is." He anticipates a positive benefit for the island from this increased global recognition.

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Obviously 7-1 is a major result, but we were playing a major team as well. It was also the first time we experienced this. A stadium this size, (Curacao players) usually only drive by, never play football there.