The Heat Is On

The Heat Is On

May 19, 2026

It is hot. The Meteorological Service warns that it will only get hotter in the coming days. And in just over three weeks, the 2026 World Cup will begin.

Preparations for the celebration are starting. Curaçao has, in many ways, already won by qualifying. From this point on, it is mostly about enjoying and celebrating the fact that we are part of it. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

As long as the tournament lasts — and that will probably be longer than Curaçao’s participation — we will try, for a moment, to forget our problems. Maybe that is necessary too. A collective breathing space.

At the same time, one can only hope that the tournament will unfold without major problems, because these are strange times. The United States is at war with Iran, yet Iran is still preparing to travel to the U.S. to participate in the World Cup.

After the tournament, summer vacation will begin, but the larger questions will still be there: the climate crisis, geopolitical tensions, poverty, governance, and a form of mass tourism that increasingly seems to create more disturbance than value.

Maybe that is ultimately what societies do: hope for a miracle, enjoy a moment of collective joy, and then continue trying to build a future afterward.

Miguel Goede