Dick Advocaat Resigns as Curaçao Coach Before 2026 World Cup

Dick Advocaat has resigned as the head coach of Curaçao just 108 days before the 2026 World Cup, citing his daughter's serious health condition as the reason for stepping down, according to Aristegui Noticias. The 78-year-old Dutch coach led Curaçao to their first-ever World Cup qualification, a historic achievement for the small Caribbean nation.

The Curaçao Football Federation confirmed Advocaat’s departure on social media a little over four months before the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, as reported by Yahoo Sports. Fred Rutten has been appointed as his successor and will lead the team through the remainder of their World Cup preparations and matches.

Advocaat, who would have been the oldest coach at the World Cup finals, also stepped down ahead of a friendly against Scotland, with Fred Rutten set to take charge of that fixture, Yahoo Sports noted. The decision underscores Advocaat’s prioritization of family over professional commitments at a critical moment for the national side.

Curaçao, the smallest nation to qualify for the 2026 tournament, will now enter the World Cup under Rutten’s leadership, starting their campaign with an opening match against Germany, according to Yahoo Sports. Rutten’s challenge will be to maintain the momentum built under Advocaat and navigate the team’s first World Cup experience.

Looking ahead, attention will focus on how quickly Fred Rutten can instill his approach and prepare the squad for the global stage, with the World Cup kickoff scheduled for mid-June. Curaçao’s performance will be closely watched as a test of both Rutten’s coaching impact and the team’s historic progress.