Curaçao Qualifies for World Cup for the First Time in History

A new, incredible story has been written on the world football map. The modest national team of Curaçao, after a tense match in Jamaica's capital, Kingston, which ended in a goalless draw (0-0) with the hosts, for the first time in its history won a ticket to the final stage of the World Cup. This achievement is sensational in itself, but its significance is further enhanced when we consider that this small island nation in the Caribbean became the country with the smallest population ever to participate in the planet's main football tournament.

Curaçao's success was not accidental. In Group B, the team had a brilliant qualifying stage, finishing in first place with 12 points. Moreover, it became the only team in the tournament to avoid defeat.

It is noteworthy that Curaçao achieved this historic result by taking to the field without its head coach, the legendary Dick Advocaat. The 78-year-old Dutch specialist, whose experience was invaluable for the team, missed the decisive match as he was forced to urgently return to the Netherlands last weekend due to family circumstances.

The score could have been opened when the referee awarded a penalty to Curaçao. However, after a lengthy review by the video assistant referee (VAR) system, the referee overturned his own decision. As a result, the 0-0 score was maintained, which was equivalent to a victory and a historic ticket for Curaçao.