Dick Advocaat has agreed to return as national coach of Curaçao for the 2026 World Cup. The move comes after his successor Fred Rutten stepped down just a month before the tournament begins.
Advocaat, 78, had led the team to its first-ever World Cup qualification before resigning in February for family reasons. His daughter's health had improved since then, prompting the federation to seek his return despite earlier reports that he was reluctant to come back.
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The 48 teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico have been confirmed after the final qualifiers. DR Congo and Iraq secured the last spots, with Curacao, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and Jordan making their debuts. Argentina enter as defending champions.
Dick Advocaat has stepped down as coach of the Curacao national football team less than four months before their historic debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 78-year-old cited family reasons, specifically caring for his ill daughter, as the cause for his departure. He will be replaced by Fred Rutten, who takes over a team that qualified as the smallest nation ever to reach the finals.
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Seventy-three-year-old Carlos Quieroz has taken over as head coach of Ghana's Black Stars, replacing Otto Addo. The Portuguese coach will lead the team into the World Cup. Queiroz brings a wealth of international experience to the role.
Indonesia national team coach John Herdman has begun calling players for a training camp from May 26-30, 2026, in Jakarta ahead of the 2026 AFF Cup. Four Persija Jakarta players—Fajar Fathurrahman, Eksel Runtukahu, Shayne Pattynama, and Witan Sulaeman—are included in the initial list per a PSSI letter dated April 22, 2026. The absence of Rizky Ridho has drawn public attention.
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Neymar has stated he is not giving up on making Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad this summer, despite his exclusion from Carlo Ancelotti's squad for upcoming friendlies against France and Croatia. The 34-year-old Santos forward expressed frustration but vowed to stay focused on training and matches, with the coach citing fitness concerns.