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The Curaçao coach writes a chapter not with his feet, but with his emotions
Dutch veteran coach Dick Advocaat, coach of the Curaçao national team, drew attention ahead of Sunday night’s match against Germany in the 2026 World Cup group five tournament between the United States, Canada and Mexico at NRG Stadium.
After the national anthems of Curaçao and Germany were played, Advocate broke down in emotional tears moments before the starting whistle, capturing the attention of fans and media in one of the most famous human moments of the tournament so far.
And I mentioned Squaka Statistics Network At 78 years and 260 days, Dick Advocate has become the oldest coach in FIFA World Cup finals history to lead a national team, setting a new record at the world’s most prestigious tournament.
Dick Advocate 🇳🇱, coach of Curaçao 🇨🇼, IN TEARS before the start of the match. 🥺
This is what the world championship means. 🌎 pic.twitter.com/1YMxxop6uX
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) June 14, 2026
He in turn noted Opta network While Advokat became the oldest coach in World Cup history, explaining that the age difference between him and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, who is 38 years and 326 days old, is 39 years and 299 days, the biggest age difference between two managers in the tournament’s history.
Group Five also features Ecuador and Ivory Coast in a group that sees a clear difference in experience and footballing history between its teams, adding even more excitement to the race to qualify for the next round.
Curaçao celebrates its first participation in the World Cup finals, an unprecedented historic achievement for the country’s football. The team is known as the “Blue Wave” and became the smallest country in terms of population and territory to reach the finals of the World Cup.
📸 – Curacao manager Dick Advocate is crying.
This is a very special moment for him. pic.twitter.com/pzumJ7TXqp
— The Touchline |: 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) June 14, 2026
Curaçao qualified for the 2026 World Cup after an outstanding campaign in the CONCACAF regional qualifiers under Advocacy, becoming the first non-sovereign region in the Americas to reach the World Cup finals, a historic achievement that adds to its sporting record and reflects the remarkable development of soccer in recent years.
