Curacao's World Cup dream: 'Nothing is impossible'
Key takeaways
- Curacao is the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup.
- Curacao is best known for its beaches and diving spots, as well as a liqueur named after it.
- From the 1960s through the 80s, everyone watched it," Curacao sports reporter Carl Ruiter told DW.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Curacao is the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup. The Caribbean island is abuzz ahead of their first match on football's biggest stage – against four-time champions Germany.
https://p.dw.com/p/5F1w LQualifying for a World Cup had been vitually unthinkable for Curacao before the expansion to 48 teams Image: Ricardo Makyn/AFP/Getty Images Advertisement With a population of just 150,000, Curacao has smashed Iceland's record as the country with the fewest inhabitants (350,000) to reach a World Cup. Curacao covers an area of roughly 440 square kilometers (171) square miles, making it about six times smaller than Rhode Island, the smallest US state.
Curacao is best known for its beaches and diving spots, as well as a liqueur named after it. Baseball, not football is the top sport on the island, which has sent around 15 players to the Major Leagues in the United States. Probably their most famous is Andruw Jones, who after spending 17 seasons in the majors was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York this year.