BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) ā CuraƧao is preparing for its historic World Cup debut against four-time champion Germany with a sense of excitement and pride.
On Sunday, the island nation of 150,000 people will become the smallest country ever to compete at the World Cup.
Coach Dick Advocaat has done his best to keep his players focused and relaxed as they navigate this unprecedented experience.
āJust be yourself, and donāt be nervous,ā defender Shurandy Sambo said Advocaat told them, just before the team left its Florida base camp for Houston. āOf course everybody is excited, but just be yourself, show yourself, because this is the biggest stage.ā
The CuraƧao players have worked hard to ensure they are prepared for their debut. Germany, making its 21st appearance in the World Cup, is a heavy favorite.
āWeāve watched a lot of clips of Germany. How they play, what they can do,ā Sambo said.
Advocaat said there is more pressure on teams like Germany that are considered favorites and that his team has āeverything to win and nothing to lose.ā
He's confident that CuraƧao is ready for the challenge of facing Germany, which he referred to as a towering contender.
āWe are a minor, very small country compared to Germany and weāre going to make life very difficult for them,ā he said. āWeāre going to be a very unpleasant team to play.ā
CuraƧaoās squad is representing a country that rarely has a chance to have moments as big as this on international sports stages.
Due to its strong Dutch ties, CuraƧao is not recognized in the Olympics as its own nation, and despite its impressive per-capita production of professional baseball athletes, CuraƧao players represent the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic.
āWe are not here to just be here,ā midfielder Arājany Martha said. āWe want to show ourselves and get good results.ā
Despite the countryās small population, CuraƧao will have plenty of supporters to cheer them on as they make history. Sambo said his own family will be attending, as will 21 families of other players.
āI (would describe us) as one big family,ā defender Livano Comenencia said. āIf you see us on the bus or outside the bus, in the hotel, we are always with music, always happy. Everybody is around each other.ā
Gracie Fisher is a student in the University of Georgiaās Carmical Sports Media Institute.
AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken contributed to this story.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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