The Tiny Caribbean Island On Verge Of World Cup History

Players from nan mini but beautiful Caribbean land of Curacao are 90 minutes distant from creating World Cup history.

If they debar conclusion distant astatine Jamaica connected Tuesday nighttime (Wednesday 01:00 GMT), Curacao - guided by erstwhile Netherlands and Rangers leader Dick Advocaat - will suffice for nan finals for nan first time.

They would go nan smallest federation ever to play astatine nan World Cup. That grounds is held by Iceland, who reached nan 2018 finals, but their state is acold bigger than Curacao, which has a organization of conscionable complete 150,000 (similar to Cambridge aliases Huddersfield) and a onshore area smaller than nan Isle of Man.

"It's crazy and would beryllium 1 of nan biggest things that will hap to Curacao," said midfielder Juninho Bacuna, a erstwhile Huddersfield, Rangers and Birmingham player.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he added: "It's unthinkable and amazing. Even a fewer years agone you would not moreover deliberation astir it, but now we are this close.

"We're definite to conscionable springiness our each to suffice for nan World Cup. To beryllium personally portion of it and to make that dream travel existent would beryllium incredible."

Curacao, 37 miles disconnected nan Venezuela coast, only became a state wrong nan Kingdom of nan Netherlands successful 2010, pursuing nan dissolution of nan Netherlands Antilles.

Ten years agone they were 150th successful Fifa's world rankings. Now they are 82nd.

The expanded 2026 World Cup format, which features 48 nations alternatively of 32, on pinch nan truth hosts Canada, Mexico and nan United States each suffice automatically, has fixed Curacao a much-improved chance.

And successful 9 qualifying matches, they person won seven. A 2-0 location triumph complete Jamaica successful October, followed by a 1-1 tie pinch Trinidad and Tobago and a 7-0 distant thrashing of Bermuda connected Friday, has them apical of their group pinch 1 lucifer to go.

In nan last game, they are distant astatine Jamaica, who are 1 constituent down Curacao and will suffice themselves pinch a victory.

The man who has taken Curacao to nan brink of nan World Cup is 1 of nan astir knowledgeable managers successful nan game.

Since January 2024, Dutchman Advocaat, 78, has been successful complaint of his eighth nationalist broadside aft 3 spells pinch nan Netherlands, arsenic good arsenic coaching nan United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Serbia and Iraq.

He helped nan Netherlands scope nan quarter-finals of nan 1994 World Cup and his South Korean squad went retired successful nan group shape successful 2006.

His database of clubs managed includes PSV Eindhoven, Rangers, Zenit St Petersburg, Sunderland and Feyenoord.

Advocaat only became Curacao leader aft a costs conflict betwixt nan players and nan country's shot relation was resolved, and he instantly group his sights connected qualifying for nan 2026 World Cup.

If he manages Curacao astatine nan finals, he will go nan oldest head astatine a men's World Cup, beating Otto Rehhagel's grounds erstwhile he was successful complaint of Greece aged 71 successful 2010.

"Everyone knows Dick Advocaat is simply a large name, he is simply a large coach and everyone respects him successful his decisions and nan measurement he works," added Bacuna. "His beingness is really important for america arsenic a squad and besides for nan country, and his effect has been really big.

"We started moving pinch him successful qualifying for nan Nations League and we saw a maturation successful nan squad successful nan measurement we worked and nan measurement we fought successful games."

However, Advocaat is not expected to beryllium connected nan touchline aft he near nan team's campy because of "private circumstances" connected Saturday.

Curacao said nan squad would beryllium led by adjunct coaches Dean Gorre and Cor Pot successful nan absence of Advocaat, who will stay successful connection pinch his assistants regarding nan team's tactical preparation.

As good arsenic having a Dutch manager, nan mostly of players successful nan Curacao squad were calved successful nan Netherlands but had family links that enabled them to play for Advocaat's side.

Their squad includes Livingston defender Joshua Brenet, Rotherham midfielder Ar'jany Martha, Middlesbrough guardant Sontje Hansen and Sheffield United midfielder Tahith Chong, who was calved successful Curacao and antecedently played successful nan Premier League pinch Manchester United.

For Bacuna, playing for Curacao was besides a chance to play world shot pinch his older relative Leandro, nan nationalist side's captain, and that was a cardinal portion of his information aft he had represented nan Netherlands astatine under-21 level.

"I started to play for Curacao successful 2019 and it was a large determination for me," said Juninho Bacuna. "At that clip I was only 21 and had a batch of years successful beforehand of maine to spot my chances for nan Dutch nationalist team.

"But I made a prime early to play for Curacao. One of nan reasons was I tin play successful nan aforesaid squad arsenic my relative and for nan family to spot america play together.

"The different logic was astatine nan clip my chances of playing for nan Dutch nationalist team, realistically, was not there. I saw a batch of players from my property already play for nan Dutch nationalist squad but I didn't person a chance to beryllium called up, truthful nan prime was speedy to make to play for Curacao."

But Bacuna felt nan country's caller footballing advancement would animate much Dutch-born players to correspond nan squad known arsenic The Blue Family.

"We're seeing much players that are still young and capable to play for Holland and they travel to play for Curacao - and make nan squad moreover stronger," added Bacuna.

Although Curacao only request a draw, Jamaica, coached by erstwhile England head Steve McClaren, will beryllium favourites to get nan location triumph they request to triumph nan group and suffice for nan World Cup for only nan 2nd clip aft appearing astatine France 1998.

"Football is possibly nan astir celebrated athletics successful Jamaica but it's a very reliable clip for Jamaica correct now arsenic we're battling backmost against nan devastation brought by Hurricane Melissa," said Jamaica news and sports journalist Karen Madden.

"What we've seen is simply a rallying unit and we've had tremendous thief from our world partners and scores of countries coming to our rescue arsenic good arsenic individuals that are rounding up Jamaicans and rounding up support.

"When we said to coach Steve McClaren, he said nan players are nether a spot of unit to deliver. To suffice for nan World Cup would beryllium of singular value and would really assistance nan spirits."

Whoever loses will still person a 2nd chance to suffice for nan World Cup, though they will person to spell done nan intercontinental play-offs successful March, wherever only 2 of nan six nations will beryllium successful.

Madden felt nan Jamaica players would beryllium keen to get immoderate revenge connected Curacao aft losing to them successful October.

"I retrieve watching nan crippled connected tv and nan stadium was packed pinch blue-clad supporters," she added. "Jamaica and nan Jamaican shot fraternity was shocked and stunned astatine nan 2-0 defeat.

"Now pinch nan roles reversed and Curacao are coming to Jamaica astatine nan nationalist stadium, nan emotion is that it is Jamaica's to suffer and cipher sees that happening."