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Curacao is the smallest nation by population to ever qualify for a FIFA World Cup.

Curacao coach Dick Advocaat believes his team has a chance to advance out of a group that includes Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast.

The tiny island of Curacao is the smallest country to ever reach a FIFA World Cup , an honor it earned with an unbeaten run through an 18-month qualifying tournament in which it outscored opponents by nearly 2½ goals a game. But when it came time to introduce Curacao to the world during last Friday’s tournament draw, the Great One shot well wide of the net, stealing its glory.

“Ka-rak-ko,” Wayne Gretzky sputtered to a global TV audience FIFA estimated at more t

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