BVB U23’s Paulina off to the World Cup with Curaçao | OneFootball

The football fairy tale has become reality: Curaçao is heading to the 2026 World Cup. For the first time in history, the country has qualified for the tournament. Not only did the 148,000 inhabitants of the Caribbean island erupt in immense jubilation after the 0-0 draw against Jamaica, but Dortmund’s U23 player Jordi Paulina also experienced a day like never before.

Curaçao’s team needed just one point before the match in the Jamaican capital of Kingston to secure first place and thus the World Cup ticket. 400 fans made the roughly 1,000-kilometer journey to support their team. However, head coach Dick Advocaat (78) was not present due to family reasons.

Since Jamaica’s Greg Leigh (31) only hit the post, the match ended in a goalless draw. This means Curaçao will be going to the football World Cup for the first time. Jordi Paulina has a strong chance of making the squad. The center forward from Borussia Dortmund’s U23 came on during stoppage time against Jamaica, helping to secure the point. For the 21-year-old, it was only his second international match. He had made his debut just a few days earlier in a 7-0 away win against Bermuda. In his first appearance, he immediately scored a brace.

Like much of the team from the island off the coast of Venezuela, Paulina was born in the Netherlands. Curaçao, like St. Maarten and Aruba, is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but does not belong to the European Union (EU) or the Schengen Area.

Curaçao with Bundesliga Experience

The national team also features Jürgen Locadia (32), a former Bundesliga professional. The currently clubless striker played a total of 22 Bundesliga matches (six goals) for TSG Hoffenheim and VfL Bochum between 2019 and 2022. Joshua Brenet (31), currently under contract with FC Livingston in the Scottish Premiership, also played for Hoffenheim in Germany’s top division (15 appearances, two goals).

Paulina is not quite there (yet). Last season, he got a taste of professional football when he played eight minutes in the DFB-Pokal second-round defeat at VfL Wolfsburg (0-1 after extra time). The offensive player’s footballing home is Borussia Dortmund’s second team, for which he has played 38 matches and scored eleven goals since 2024.

Instead of facing Rödinghausen, Velbert, or Bonn, Paulina could meet Brazil, England, or even Germany next year.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.