Population of 150,000: Curacao Makes World Cup Debut with Emotional First Goal

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Curacao, a small island nation with a population of 150,000 led by former South Korean national team head coach Dick Advocaat, has played its first-ever World Cup match. Although they suffered a heavy defeat against powerhouse Germany, they created an unforgettable moment by scoring their historic first World Cup goal.

Ha Seong-nyong reports.

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With a population of 150,000 and a land area one-fourth the size of Jeju Island, Curacao is the smallest nation by both population and area to ever qualify for the World Cup.

The team played its first-ever World Cup match, accompanied by the emotional tears of 78-year-old head coach Dick Advocaat, the oldest manager in World Cup history.

Despite conceding an opening goal in the 6th minute to Germany, a team with a squad value of 1.4 trillion won—more than 30 times that of Curacao—the team wrote a new chapter in history by scoring their first goal on the "dream stage" in the 21st minute.

When Comenencia beat German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to turn their first shot on target into a goal, leveling the score, the Curacao squad and their fans cheered as if they had won the tournament.

Curacao eventually felt the gap in talent, conceding six more goals to lose 7-1, but coach Advocaat remained optimistic.

[Dick Advocaat / Curacao Head Coach: The fact that Curacao reached the finals is already a great achievement, and it is important to play the tournament well. Perhaps we can create a surprising result in the second or third matches.]

Curacao citizens, enjoying street cheering for the first time, also wore happy expressions.

[Curacao Citizen: I am proud of the Curacao national football team. We are the smallest nation in World Cup history, and we will achieve a victory. I love you, Curacao players. Please do your best.]

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Germany has now surpassed Brazil with 239 total goals, becoming the team with the most goals in World Cup history.

In the same group, Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador 1-0 with a dramatic last-minute goal by Diallo, marking a successful return to the World Cup after 12 years. In Group F, Sweden thrashed Tunisia 5-1, led by two goals from Ayari, whose father is of Tunisian descent.

Video by Park Chun-bae
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.