Advocaat Resigns as Curaçao Coach for Family Reasons

Willemstad, Curaçao – Veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat has resigned as head coach of the Curaçao national soccer team due to his daughter's health issues, leaving him unable to lead the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup into the 2026 tournament.

The 78-year-old Advocaat, who guided Curaçao to their historic qualification over the past two years, announced his decision in a statement released Monday by the Curaçao Football Federation. Curaçao, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of the Netherlands with a population of about 156,000, surpassed Iceland's previous record as the least populous country to reach the men's World Cup. The team earned their spot in the expanded 48-team event, set for next summer across North America, after a successful qualification campaign that highlighted Advocaat's tactical expertise.

"I've always said that family comes before football," Advocaat said. "This is therefore a natural decision. But that doesn't change the fact that I will miss Curaçao, the people there, and my colleagues very much. I consider qualifying the smallest country in the world for the World Cup one of the highlights of my career. I'm proud of my players,...