The Day After

The Day After

14 November 2025

With yesterday’s 7–0 victory over a weak Bermuda side, Curaçao now stands for the first time in history at the gates of football heaven: the 2026 World Cup. We would become the smallest country ever to qualify for the world's biggest sporting event. The island is buzzing with energy. You could see it clearly in the thousands who watched the match on the big screen.

But the day after, the problems are still there. While the euphoria still hung in the air, pensioners marched to the Council of Ministers to push for the legal indexation of the AOV.

A performance like this creates unity. It is pure nation-building. People embrace each other, and differences fade. It is intoxicating — and it can be misleading. In that rush, we forget our structural problems. That is not necessarily bad, but the result is often that we do not solve them. And then we end up with what the Romans already understood: bread and circuses. The establishment continues as always. That danger lurks here as well.

Yet there is much to learn from this moment. In sports, Curaçao performs at a world-class level. How do we do it? Through vision, leadership, and meritocracy. The team is guided by a Dutch legend who selects the best players. Resources are allocated wisely. Logistics are in order. Communication can improve, in my view, but the results speak for themselves.

These are all things we fail to apply in politics, the civil service, government entities, and even in the private sector and NGOs. There, egoism, Family & Friends, and the pursuit of money, power, and prestige prevail — at the expense of the country.

Football teaches us this: when we play for the nation, the results are better for everyone.Shall we try that now?

Miguel Goede