I’m pretty sure that many of you reading this didn’t even know this nation existed. Curacao, a place smaller than Noida, is going to the World Cup. A country with barely one and a half lakh people has dragged itself into a tournament where legends are made. A team that played its first match in 2011 under a new identity has pulled off something other nations chase with 25-year visions and roadmaps.
This is a team that did not even exist in its current form till 2010. The old Netherlands Antilles broke apart, the federation was rebuilt, and the national side had to start again from scratch. By 2015, they were ranked 150th. They had no significant footprint in the global football scene, no deep pool to pick from, and no margin to hide their flaws.
Yet their qualifying run was not a fluke, or they didn’t just get lucky; they earned the right on the pitch. Ten matches, seven wins, no losses. They handled every swing thrown at them. The final night in Kingston almost broke them when a stoppage-time penalty was given. VAR intervened and overturned the penalty, and the game ended in a draw, which was enough to send Curacao to the USA for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Their coach will enter as the oldest manager ever to stand on a World Cup touchline. Their players come from scattered leagues and mixed backgrounds, but the structure behind them has stayed steady. Small nations usually burn out in the qualifiers. Curacao kept climbing till the numbers stopped arguing.
The region sent Haiti and Panama through as well, but Curacao stands out because they have never been here. Caribbean football has had its moments. This one is different because of the scale. A country this small was not supposed to survive a full qualifying cycle, let alone finish it unbeaten.
Curacao’s story makes me so happy as a Football fan, but then I look at my national team. Countries that are mere Islands are going to the World Cup, whereas on the other hand, we couldn’t even make it to the AFC Asian Cup, but I guess the less we talk about it, the better.
Because this is Curacao’s moment, they did it when the odds were stacked against them, reached the biggest stage by staying efficient, while others remained hopeful.
They did not sneak in. They earned it.
