Curaçao, with a population of 158,000—smaller than most UK cities—qualifies as the smallest nation ever to participate in the FIFA World Cup. The island, smaller than the Isle of Man, is not fully sovereign, being part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Only one player in the 25-man squad, Tahith Chong, was born on the island; the remaining 24 players hail from mainland Netherlands, many having represented Dutch youth teams. Captain Leandro Bacuna told BBC Sport: "People look at us always having fun and dancing. We are all together. But as soon as the referee blows the whistle we have one thing on our mind—getting a result."
Dick Advocaat, 78, becomes the oldest manager at a World Cup. The Dutch tactician leads Curaçao in Group E against Germany (18 June), Ecuador, and Ivory Coast. Thousands of Blue Wave fans are expected to travel from the island for their World Cup debut.