Dutch football has a secret team
Suriname’s squad is becoming less dire
In front of fewer than a dozen fans at Paramaribo’s Dr Franklin Essed Stadium, the emcee promises “fireworks” on the pitch. The opening exchanges of the Suriname Major League clash between Notch and Broki peter out into a medley of misplaced passes and goal-keeping howlers. Domestic football in Suriname, a country of 620,000 inhabitants in South America, is a mess. But thanks to an influx of diaspora players, the national side, popularly known as “the Natio”, could become the lowest-ranking team in history to qualify for a World Cup (North Korea currently holds this ignominious title). It helps that next year’s cup will feature the largest number of teams ever.
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This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Pass the passports”
From the June 28th 2025 edition
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