Curacao have officially booked their place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time, becoming the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for football’s biggest stage. The team, led by veteran coach Dick Advocaat, secured their historic spot after a tense goalless draw against Jamaica — despite Advocaat himself missing the match due to personal reasons.

The previous record belonged to Iceland, who stunned the world at the 2018 World Cup, but Curacao’s achievement is even more remarkable. With a population of just around 150,000 people, the Caribbean island has completed an extraordinary rise: only a decade ago, they were ranked 150th in the FIFA standings. Today, they have climbed all the way to 82nd.

Should Dick Advocaat travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Curacao, he will become the oldest head coach in the tournament’s history at 78 years old, overtaking the long-standing record set by Otto Rehhagel, who led Greece at the 2010 World Cup aged 71.