From Brighton struggles to the World Cup: Jurgen Locadia’s remarkable Curaçao journey

The fact that his nation has made it to the World Cup, despite being the smallest country to ever play at the tournament, is a story in itself, but the curious journey of Brighton’s former record transfer will be the focus of this piece.

Locadia’s early career was aligned with the Netherlands. He matured there, having represented the youth teams from Under-17s through to the Under-21s.

This meant that growing up, the striker probably saw himself at the World Cup in the infamous vibrant orange colours, but a switch to Curacao in 2023 instead has taken him to football's global stage. He did, however, require some convincing before making the jump.