“We have nothing to lose” — Curacao coach Dick Advocat's words of encouragement ahead of World Cup 2026 opener against Germany
"We have nothing to lose; we'll play hard and use the space Germany gives us," Curacao coach Dick Advocat said ahead of their World Cup 2026 opener against Germany. Curaçao reached the final stage of the World Cup for the first time under the leadership of Advocate, who took over in January 2024.
The Curacao team will face strong rivals Germany in their opening match at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Head coach Dick Advocat made it clear that his team will not be afraid in this fight and will make life easy for the opponent.
The Germany-Curaçao match will be played on June 14 in Houston, USA. Start at 8:00 PM Moscow time. This Al-Muwajah is the first match of the tournament for both the teams.
"Even though we are a small country compared to Germany, we will trouble them. We will play hard. Sometimes humble teams can beat big teams; we often see such examples in the Netherlands. Germany is likely to dominate the ball; we will use the spaces they leave. We have nothing to lose. The feeling that there are no big expectations on us gives us extra freedom; that is why we are looking to surprise everyone. It is an honor for the country to participate, but we have to show our ability on the field," he said. Reuters reported that the advocate had commented.
Advocaat, who took charge of the Curacao team in January 2024, previously coached Zenit Club and the Russian national team. Under his leadership, Curaçao qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time, giving this match more importance.
The venue in Houston, world football giants Germany, the excitement of the first match — the combination of the three has heightened interest in how Curacao will react. The question now is whether Curaçao's secret to success will be, as the advocate puts it, "turning space into opportunity".