A fable within a fable, Dick Advocaat’s.

A fairy tale within a fairy tale. Dick Advocaat, Curaçao’s technical commissioner, has pulled off a masterpiece by leading the Caribbean national team to the 2026 World Cup, the first in its history. And it doesn’t end there, the Dutch coach will also become the oldest coach ever to participate in the rainbow tournament.

Having turned 78 last Sept. 27, Advocaat will lead his third national team in a World Cup, after the Oranje made it to the quarterfinals in 1994 in the United States and South Korea, which in 2006 was eliminated in the group stage of the German kermesse later won by Italy of Marcello Lippi and the various Buffon, Cannavaro and Totti.

The “Little General,” as he was nicknamed for being a disciple of “General” Rinus Michels, will also far surpass the record of Germany’s Otto Rehhagel, who was 71 years and 317 days old when, as technical commissioner of Greece (with which, it should be remembered, he won the European championships played in Portugal in 2004), he was eliminated in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup.

There are already 42 national teams that have qualified for the World Cup to be staged next year in North America.

The extension sought by FIFA, which increased the number of participants in the final phase to 48, has meant that there will be a first for more than one selection including Curaçao, but not only.

The 42 already qualified

Host countries: Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Asia: Saudi Arabia, Australia, Qatar, South Korea, Iran, Japan, Jordan, and Uzbekistan.
Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.
Conmebol: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Concacaf: Panama, Curaçao and Haiti.
Europe: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Scotland and Switzerland.
Oceania: New Zealand.