Dick Advocaat returns to coach Curacao in World Cup

Months after stepping down, Dick Advocaat has returned to serve as the head coach for Curacao's national soccer team, according to multiple reports Monday.

Advocaat, who at 78 will become the oldest manager in World Cup history, resigned in February for family matters. But with his daughter's health reportedly improving, Advocaat has decided to come back and lead Curacao into its first-ever World Cup appearance.

Curacao, with a population of just over 150,000, is the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup.

Advocaat, nicknamed the "Little General", replaces Fred Rutten, who stepped down to enable Advocaat's comeback. Rutten managed Curacao during two March friendly matches, losing to China (5-1) and Australia (5-1).

Goal.com reported that Curacao's player council met with Gilbert Martina, Curacao Football Federation's president, following the matches and said the team preferred Advocaat over Rutten. Atilay Uslu, owner of Corendon Airlines, a major sponsor, threatened to pull more than 1 million Euros of annual funding if a coaching change wasn't made, the report said.

"There must not be a climate that damages healthy professional relationships within the team or staff," Rutten said in a statement. "Therefore, resigning is the right decision. Time is of the essence and Curacao must move forward. I regret how things turned out, but I wish everyone the best."

Curacao plays its first World Cup match June 14 in Houston against Germany.

--Field Level Media

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 5:45 PM.