Curacao to create fairy tale

The World Cup is a competition between big teams and a showcase of the world’s best footballers. However, Curacao, a country with a population of 150,000, is going to create a fairy tale in the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
They have stepped onto the main stage of the World Cup as the smallest country in football history.

Even though it has been five months since they qualified for the World Cup, the entire country is still in a daze. Former Manchester United star Tahith Chong of Curacao spoke about that madness in an interview with FIFA. He said, “The people of the island of Curacao have probably not been able to sleep since they qualified for the World Cup.”

The only footballer in the Curacao squad, Chong was born on the island. After moving to the Netherlands as a child, he also played for the Dutch youth team. But when it came time to choose a national team, Chong chose his homeland.

Reminiscing about his school life, Chong said, “When we camped in Curacao for the national team, the hotel was right across from the school where I was 6-7 years old. That’s where my first international match started. My 96-year-old grandmother, who always watched me on TV, came to the field for the first time and watched me play from the gallery. That’s the sweetest memory of my career.”

Chong said that he hated football as a child, saying, “My father played football in Curacao. When he called me to watch the game, I would say – it’s a stupid game, I don’t like football.”

Chong’s father still can’t believe that his son will take the country’s name to the world stage. Chong said, “Every time my father calls, he says – I believe it, Curacao will play in the World Cup!”