Brenton Balentien, known as Blue Face, a leader of supporters of Curacao’s national soccer team, poses wearing face paint in the team’s colors in Willemstad, Curacao, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao (AP) — There won’t be millions of people from Curaçao cheering on their national team in the World Cup , because Curaçao doesn’t have millions of people.
Curaçao has already crafted a story like none other in World Cup history. A tiny island country of about 156,000 residents is now the smallest, both in terms of population and land mass, to make it to soccer’s biggest stage.
Before the tournament even begins, Curaçao has already crafted a story like none other in World Cup history. A tiny island country — autonomous territory, if you prefer — of about 156,000 residents in the Caribbean is now the smallest, both in terms of population and land mass, to make it to soccer’s biggest stage. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s doing so under a coach in Dick Advocaat who, at 78, is about to become the oldest the tournament has ever seen.
They know what the world is probably thinking: Their country is too small, their coach is too old, they don’t have a chance.
They heard all that through the qualifying process as well — and here they are.
“We have made history,” Curaçao defender Sherel Floranus said. “We are writing our own history, for this island.”
The way they see it, they’ve already won.
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