Debutants Curacao are about to break an all-time World Cup record.

Spearheaded by veteran coach Dick Advocaat – soon to be the oldest coach in the tournament’s history – the Caribbean island are the smallest-ever nation to make an appearance at the finals with a population of only 160,000.

So what should you know about the brilliantly nicknamed Blue Wave before they make their bow on the global stage this month?

In the second episode of our four-part series on the 2026 World Cup debutants, we’re focusing on Curacao –a non-independent country that is part of the Netherlands and has as many Europe-born players as first opponents Germany.

Plus, Graham Potter calls up a member of the Swedish nobility in defence and Iran’s final friendly opponents Gambia lose their football boots.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

02:48 – The coach: Dick Advocaat’s age record

05:40 – The players: Only Chong born in Curacao

09:15 – Qualifying: VAR scare versus Jamaica

12:05 – Group: Germany, Ivory Coast & Ecuador

15:50 – Gustaf Lagerbielke: Sweden’s defensive baron

17:42 – Gambia: DJ visits and lost football boots

Cape Verde are days away from making their World Cup debut.

With a head coach nicknamed after the island of his birth and only seven full-time staff members, the tiny African archipelago are about to take on former world champions Spain and Uruguay as well as Saudi Arabia in North America.

But what do you need to know about the Blue Sharks ahead of their maiden appearance on the greatest stage in international football?

In the first of our four-part series on the debutants at the 2026 World Cup, we talk through the once Portuguese colony’s unique recruitment strategy – from LinkedIn DMs to Rotterdam recruits – and assess their chances of a Group H upset.

Plus, New Zealand’s Tim Payne becomes an overnight viral sensation and Haiti’s Josué Duverger prepares to swap fifth-tier German side Cosmos Koblenz for World Cup duty.

Get 10% off with Golaço Kits by visiting golacokits.com and using the discount code SWEEPER10 at checkout.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:57 – The coach: Bubista & seven staff

03:05 – The players: Diaspora & LinkedIn

07:54 – Qualifying: Windy win over Eswatini

11:04 – Group: Spain, Uruguay & Saudi Arabia

13:30 – Our new partner: Golaço Kits

15:25 – Tim Payne: NZ’s overnight sensation

18:28 – Josué Duverger: Haiti’s fifth-tier keeper

We have come to a tiny landlocked country where nine out of 10 footballers are foreigners.

Welcome to beautiful Andorra – a micro-state home to a football scene brimming with curiosities and quirks.

In this episode, we’re unpacking the madness: Why are there virtually no Andorrans in the local Primera Divisió? How did Gerard Piqué’s FC Andorra move over the border to play in Spain’s La Liga 2? And why on earth do fans of UE Santa Coloma dress up as squirrels?

Plus: UEFA has totally revamped qualification for international competitions with a tiered Swiss-style system – and the continent's smaller nations are up in arms about it.

Buy ‘Around The World In 80 Clubs’: ⁠www.amazon.co.uk/Around-World-80-Clubs-Wonderful/dp/1399637886

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:26 – FC Andorra: The history

03:15 – FC Andorra: Piqué & Ceuta

12:50 – The Copa Constitució final

17:03 – No homegrown players

24:10 – The micro-state ranking list

30:08 – UEFA’s qualification revamp

31:25 – A message from the minnows