Curaçao, the smallest nation in World Cup history, just shocked the soccer world

The dream was alive Tuesday in Jamaica, and then it very suddenly looked like it wasn’t. A scoreless draw, and Curaçao would become the smallest nation ever to make the World Cup. A 1-0 Jamaica win — as the penalty referee Ivan Barton had just whistled would make it much more likely — and Curaçao would have to take the long way to next summer’s World Cup.

Then, the Video Assistant Referee agreed, with the Salvadoran referee taking a quick look and noting that Jeremy Antonisse had rolled the ball away before any contact with Jamaica forward Dujuan “Whisper” Richards. No penalty. No stress. No goals against. 

Moments later, Barton blew the final whistle.

Curaçao, a country of just more than 155,000 people, was into the World Cup.

Curaçao didn’t have its coach. Legendary manager Dick Advocaat had to return to the Netherlands to deal with a personal problem, leaving his assistants in charge.

It didn’t have several players. An injury to September hero Tahith Chong meant he was part of a series of players who sent messages to the team on Instagram rather than stepping on the field of “The Office” with his Blue Wave teammates.

What it did have was a game plan to push for a goal, even though a point would be enough to make history. It had a resolute back line — a combination of new addition Armando Obispo and Roshon van Eijma, a Curaçao player since 2021 partnering in the center — in front of veteran goalkeeper Eloy Room. That forced the hosts into desperate shots without danger. The Reggae Boyz tried 13 shots, but only one found the target.

It was a remarkable team effort from a group that has not been together long. A constituent country of the Netherlands, nearly every player who suits up for Curaçao was born in Holland but is eligible to play for Curaçao thanks to FIFA rules that allow players to represent the country of their parents’ or grandparents’ birth.

The challenge, then, is often convincing players to sacrifice a potential future with the Netherlands national team in favor of long trips across the Atlantic Ocean during international breaks, fighting to represent the 155,000 plus on Curaçao. Chong was a long-time holdout, having progressed through the youth ranks of the Oranje. Current Dutch internationals like Arsenal center back Jurriën Timber and Bournemouth forward Justin Kluivert are among those who would’ve been eligible had they not opted for the much more celebrated team in Europe.

Yet, as the final whistle blew Tuesday, few were rethinking anything about their decision. They had just delivered their country one of its happiest-ever moments, all wearing the same badge on their shirt, all waving the same flags in celebration.

The scoreless draw means Jamaica, a team that can call on Europe-based talents like Brentford center back Ethan Pinnock, Leicester City attacking midfielder Bobby De Cordova-Reid and QPR midfielder Isaac Hayden among others (though an inopportune injury to Leon Bailey denied the chance to star the Roma winger), will take a long road to the World Cup.

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The Reggae Boyz qualified for March’s inter-confederation playoff and will learn Thursday morning which opponents they will need to beat in a three-team pathway that will include teams from other confederations. They’ll be on that journey without manager Steve McClaren. The former England manager and Manchester United assistant announced after the match that he is stepping down from his role.

“After deep reflection and an honest assessment of where we are and where we need to go, I have decided to step down as the head coach of the Jamaican national team,” McClaren said. “This decision comes from respect, always the respect of the badge, the supporters and the players. Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is recognize when a fresh voice, new energy and a different perspective is required to move this team forward.”

Curaçao moved forward even without the physical presence of its legendary manager. The Curaçao federation always has shown a willingness to bring in a big name to lead the charge. Guus Hiddink and Patrick Kluivert are part of a series of big names who couldn’t do what Advocaat and his assistant Dean Gorré and Cor Pot were able to achieve in this cycle.

But a less famous name kick-started Curaçao’s current success. Remko Bicentini, who had an unremarkable playing career with Dutch squad NEC, began laying the groundwork for this project even when Curaçao was still know as Netherlands Antilles. That nation dissolved in 2010, when Curaçao and Sint Maarten became autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, just as Aruba had in 1986.

It is not a long history as a nation, nor as a team, though Curaçao can point to plenty of sporting success on the baseball diamond, where it produces more Major Leagues Baseball players per capita than anywhere else in the world but also Ergilio Hato, a legendary goalkeeper in the 1940s and 1950s for whom the national stadium is named.

Now, it is the current generation that will add their names to the list of local legends. The Bacuna brothers, Leandro who started playing for Curaçao in 2016 and Juninho, long-time goalkeeper Room, forward Kenji Gorré, plus new recruits like center back Obispo and attacker Sonja Hansen, both of whom arrived in October and were key to securing the place in North America.

The foundation put down by the regular players allowed them to quickly mesh with the new faces. They secured famous results like a 2-0 win over Jamaica in Curaçao, a 7-0 thrashing of Bermuda earlier this month and, now, a 0-0 draw in Kingston they’ll never forget.

The dream has been achieved for Curaçao. Now, it will enjoy everything that comes with a place in the World Cup: The excitement of the draw, the preparation, new faces joining up and old ones making sure they’re in peak performance. Then, hearing the anthem and playing as the smallest country ever to take its place on the world’s biggest stage.