World Cup record broken three times in 4 days

Records are made to be broken. But there are some records that are being changed overnight in this World Cup. A rare record regarding the age of coaches has changed repeatedly at the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Finally, Curacao head coach Dick Advocaat has set a new record as the oldest coach in the history of this World Cup.

78-year-old Dutch coach Dick Advocaat managed the team in Curacao's first World Cup match against Germany on Sunday. Through this, he has set the record for the oldest match in the history of the World Cup.

Previously, this record was held by Otto Rehhagel for a long 16 years. He served as the coach of Greece at the age of 71 in the 2010 World Cup. Before that, Cesare Maldini set the record as the coach of Paraguay at the age of 70 in the 2002 World Cup.

However, the record has changed three times in just four days in this World Cup. South Africa coach Hugo Bruce set a World Cup record on Thursday against Mexico. Bruce, who turned 74 this year, held the record for only a few hours.

Czech Republic coach Miroslav Kubek broke the record about five hours after the South Africa match. Kubek, who turned 75, took charge of the Czech national team in December 2025. But Kubek's record did not last long. Within days, the 78-year-old Advocaat made history by taking charge of Curacao at the World Cup stage.

Advocaat was appointed as Curacao coach in 2024 and under him the team secured a place in the World Cup in November 2025. However, he resigned in February 2026 due to his daughter's illness.

Assistant coach Fred Rutten then took over on an interim basis. Later, when Advocaat's daughter's condition improved, the players demanded his return. Even one of the team's sponsors threatened to stop funding if Rutten was in charge. Advocaat finally returned to Curacao in May.

Dick Advocaat has had a long and successful coaching career in world football. The Dutch coach, who has been coaching since 1980, has managed the Netherlands men's national team three times. He has also coached various clubs and national teams around the world.

He has coached eight countries: the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Belgium, Russia, Serbia, Iraq and currently Curacao.