The Blue Wave by Boele Loonstra

Curaçao has created one of the greatest fairytales in football history. The island, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Southern Caribbean Sea, has a population of around 158,000 people. After beating Jamaica in the final of the qualifiers, Curaçao has now debuted at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, and became the country with the smallest population to ever participate in the tournament. 

Both the fans and players have been praised as some of the most passionate out of every country going to the World Cup. The ‘Blue Wave’, the nickname of the football association and its supporters, came from the blue sea that surrounds the island, but stands for good energy, national pride and unity, and there is no way to miss this when you see the fans and even the players. Everything outside of the pitch is music, dance and togetherness. The most important message is that it’s not the team that qualified and will represent Curaçao on the world stage, but the whole population. In May, the government organised the ‘Blue Wave Festival’ in Willemstad, turning the whole city blue. 

Especially since last year, there has been a popularity wave raising support on the island and even outside it, mainly in the Netherlands. As Prime Minister Pisas explained, this has been growing even more ever since. Their goal is to show that Curaçao is “the paradise of the Caribbean”.

The kits for the World Cup represent the country’s culture. The home shirt is deep blue with yellow accents, and the away shirt is modelled after the colourful houses in Willemstad, the capital, having a cream-yellow base and pink, turquoise and orange stripes on the sleeves. Since their release, the shirts have gone viral on social media, been ranked among the top designs in the tournament, and been sold all over the world. 

Curaçao was a Dutch colony from 1634 to 1954, which was accompanied by slavery and violence. Slavery was finally abolished in 1863, and from this point onward, the relationship between the Netherlands and Curaçao gradually became better. The island became part of the Dutch Antilles in 1954, when, along with Aruba and Bonaire, it was no longer treated as a colony. Then, in 2010, it became an autonomous state within the Dutch kingdom after a national referendum. The rich history ultimately resulted in good relations between the countries, and many people of Curaçaoan descent live in the Netherlands. 

This has also impacted the national team in recent years. When head coach Dick Advocaat began his journey in 2024, he came with the plan of convincing Dutch players of Curaçaoan descent to play for their families’ country of birth. Many of them decided to join the project and chose to play for Curaçao. Since Advocaat was appointed coach, ten new players like Tahith Chong, Armando Obispo, and Sontje Hansen have debuted. From the current squad, 25 out of 26 players were born in the Netherlands; however, the love and passion they show for the country they will be representing at the World Cup is unmatched.

Dick Advocaat is not a random guy who reached the World Cup by accident. His resume is among the most extensive and impressive ones in modern Dutch football. His former employers include clubs like PSV, Feyenoord, Mönchengladbach and Sunderland, but his international career is the most interesting. In his over 40-year-long career, he has managed the Netherlands (3x), the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Serbia, and Iraq. Quite a list! 

That might blow everyone away immediately, since his experience is incredible and his stature in his home country and around the world is great. This was also a reason for Curaçao to appoint the now 78-year-old as head coach, who had to bring them to the world stage for the first time. He did not disappoint. The team had to win two group stages to qualify. Within a year and a half, he led them to the second stage while also winning their Nations League group. 

In the second group stage, the last hurdle on the way to Curaçao’s goal, it came down to the last game, away in Kingston, Jamaica. It stayed 0-0 until the last minute, when a Jamaican player went down in the box, winning a penalty. However, after minutes of VAR review, the decision was reversed. The game ended, and as they only needed a draw, Curaçao qualified, and a massive party broke out. Advocaat, however, could not be there because of his wife’s illness. Despite his absence, he was celebrated by the whole island.

Right before the World Cup, however, Advocaat had to step down as his daughter also had health problems. Another coach took over, but when it became clear that Advocaat was available again, a lot of discourse started. In the end, the new coach made way for him to come back and go to the World Cup with Curaçao, as, perhaps, their most celebrated and loved manager ever. 

Curaçao will definitely be one of the countries that gives colour to the World Cup. The passion, energy and love for football are unprecedented and make it a very special team to feature at the tournament, and they will not disappoint. Now, the question is whether they can also impress with their performances and cause upsets. Nevertheless, whether they win or lose, the Curaçaoan fans and players will carry a smile on their face.