World Cup team appoint new coach less than a month before tournament kick-off

Dick Advocaat originally stepped down as the manager of the Curaçao national team in February 2026 primarily due to serious health issues involving his daughter.

Despite leading the “Blue Wave” to their historic first-ever World Cup qualification, Advocaat prioritized his family, stating at the time that “family comes before football.” His departure was considered a significant blow to the team’s preparations for the 2026 tournament.

Curaçao made history becoming the smallest population nation to ever qualify for a World Cup with just 160,000 inhabitants.

Rutten out, Advocaat in

After his resignation, fellow Dutchman Fred Rutten was appointed to lead the team.

Rutten, resigned yesterday (May 11). While Rutten’s departure was officially described as a “constructive” decision, it followed significant pressure from players and major sponsors who wanted Advocaat back for the World Cup and Curaçao had a rough patch under Rutten in March, losing friendlies to both China (2-0) and Australia (5-1).

In a surprising development on May 12, Advocaat has officially returned to the role. His daughter’s health has reportedly improved, and the Curaçao Football Federation (FFK) reached an agreement for him to resume his duties just one month before their opening match against Germany.

At 78 years old, Advocaat is set to become the oldest manager in World Cup history when the tournament kicks off next month and he will now lead the squad into Group E, where they are scheduled to face Germany, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast.

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