The Curaçao national team is experiencing one of the most astonishing coaching shake-ups just ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The small Caribbean island, a constituent country of the Netherlands, surprisingly qualified for the tournament under Dick Advocaat. However, the Dutchman abruptly left the team just three months before the event, ending his career at age 78. Now, with only one month left until the tournament, he is reportedly making a comeback.
The return has not been officially confirmed, and Curaçao currently has no head coach. Sources such as De Telegraaf, ESPN, BBC, AOL, and NOS all report that Advocaat is set to return, despite initial disbelief in such a turnaround.
Fred Rutten, who took over after Advocaat, resigned, along with team press secretary Kees Jansma. Players and sponsors have been urging Advocaat to come back for weeks. If he refuses, the team’s future remains uncertain.
Rutten played only two matches in charge, both losses: 1–5 against Australia and 0–1 against China, a team that didn’t even reach the World Cup. This raised serious questions about Curaçao’s prospects at the tournament. However, the poor results weren’t the only reason for Rutten’s departure. Players were unhappy with his starkly different approach compared to Advocaat. The federation, keen on maintaining the team’s positive media image, decided to remove Rutten to avoid further conflict. The official statement read: “An environment that undermines healthy professional relationships within the team and staff must not arise. Therefore, resignation is a sensible move.”
Now, the federation is ready to do anything to bring Advocaat back. Sponsors are eager for his return and have pledged to cover all financial obligations.
Advocaat initially left due to his daughter’s illness, which has since improved. He had stated, “Family is more important than football. I will miss Curaçao, its people, and my colleagues. Leading the smallest nation in World Cup history was one of the highlights of my career.” A friend, Cor Pot, confirmed that chemotherapy had yielded positive results, easing the critical condition. So for the 2026 World Cup, the restless Advocaat may return. It could be his final tournament as a coach, continuing Curaçao’s fairytale.
*Note: original had two image placeholders, but only was present in text; corrected to match source. Actually source has and . I’ll keep both as per original.
Tags: Dick Advocaat, Curaçao national team, Fred Rutten, 2026 World Cup, World Cup qualification, CONCACAF, Australia national football team, China national football team