That would be a sensation: On the final matchday of World Cup qualifying, the tiny nation of Curaçao holds its fate in its own hands. Up front is a familiar face.

Jürgen Locadia hasn’t been with a club since last summer. But his services are still in high demand on Curaçao’s national team. No wonder: The country has a population of just 150,000. Strikers of Locadia’s caliber are rare.

For the first time ever, Curaçao’s national team has a chance to qualify for a World Cup—and to do so as the smallest country in World Cup history. To achieve this, “The Blue Wave,” as the national team is known, needs only a draw against Jamaica on the night of Tuesday, November 19 (German time).

Ahead of the decisive match for a spot in next summer’s World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, Curaçao has one more point than Jamaica, which is coached by former England national team coach Steve McClaren. The excitement surrounding the capital, Willemstad, with its colorful houses, is therefore immense.

Up front is a familiar face: Jürgen Locadia. The former VfL Bochum forward has appeared in four qualifying matches. In the 2-0 first-leg victory over Jamaica, he also recorded his first point of the campaign with an assist. He was absent only from the 7-0 away win against Bermuda.

Locadia spent the second half of the 2021–22 Bundesliga season with VfL Bochum. After 13 games, two goals, and one assist, however, his time there came to an end in the summer of 2022, and he moved on to Persepolis in Iran. Now, he’s dreaming of the World Cup with Curaçao.

Meanwhile, another internationally renowned figure stands on the sidelines: Dutch soccer globetrotter Dick Advocaat. The 78-year-old coach, who once spent a lot of money with little success at Gladbach, took over the national team of the country—which was once part of the Netherlands Antilles—at the beginning of last year and, drawing on his vast experience, has put it on the path to success.

But in what is, of all games, the most important match in Curaçao’s soccer history to date, the architect of that success will be absent. Advocaat has flown back to the Netherlands for family reasons, as the federation confirmed. “It’s a very difficult decision to have to leave the guys here. I made the decision with a heavy heart, but family is more important than soccer,” said Advocaat.

Now, even without him, the team aims to secure a World Cup berth against Jamaica and surpass Iceland as the smallest-ever participant in a World Cup. If they pull off this upset, Advocaat will become a national hero on the Caribbean island once and for all. The association’s president has already promised a monument for the Dutchman, but Advocaat wants nothing to do with it. “If we make it to the World Cup, then they should erect a monument featuring all the players.”