Dick Advocaat leaves Curaçao job four months before nation’s first World Cup

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·23 February 2026

Dick Advocaat leaves Curaçao job four months before nation’s first World Cup

Dick Advocaat has stepped down as Curaçao head coach four months before the country’s first World Cup, citing his daughter’s health.

L'Équipe reports that the 78-year-old made his decision on Monday. Curaçao, a Caribbean nation of a little over 150,000 people, reached the 2026 World Cup for the first time after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica in November.

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In a statement, he said family comes before football and that he would miss Curaçao, its people and his colleagues.

After two years in charge, Advocaat has been succeeded by Fred Rutten, the former Netherlands international defender with one cap. Rutten previously managed PSV Eindhoven from 2009 to 2012 and Feyenoord Rotterdam in 2014 to 2015.

Curaçao will face Germany on 14 June, Ecuador on 20 June and Côte d'Ivoire on 25 June in Group E.

Source: L'Équipe