Former PSV player emotional after World Cup stunt: “This is the biggest stage of them all”

No one in the Netherlands will have missed that Curaçao managed to pull off a stunt last weekend by securing a historic point at the World Cup of Football. Thanks in part to former PSV goalkeeper Eloy Room, Dick Advocaat’s side drew 0-0 with Ecuador. 

Also thanks to Germany's late victory over Ivory Coast (2-1), The Blue Wave still has a chance of finishing in the top two in Group E. To do so, Die Mannschaft must win against Ecuador on Thursday evening, and Curaçao must also beat Ivory Coast.

After the match against Ecuador, former PSV defender Joshua Brenet couldn’t contain his joy. Brenet couldn’t hold back his emotions after the final whistle—and really already before the match.

''During the national anthems I got goosebumps. This is the biggest stage of all. It was always a boyhood dream to be at a World Cup. I played a few internationals for Oranje and you hope to end up at a final tournament with that, but in the end it turned out differently'', says the former PSV player in an interview with the Leeuwarder Courant.

In 2012, the defender made his debut with PSV’s first team. ''It was a long road. I come from very far, I’ve had to go through a lot, actually from a very young age. I started early at Roda JC, but when I left there, I actually only moved from the amateurs to PSV at a later age. It isn’t a path like most guys follow'', Brenet looks back.

In 2024, Curaçao’s international still had to leave FC Twente because it turned out he was driving with an invalid driver’s license. ''The last few years were also difficult, with a lot of uncertainty. First there was that mess where I was sent away by FC Twente. That’s hard. You’re suddenly without a club. Only later came a club from Qatar, but that also stopped after just one season. It was two summers in a row that were uncertain'', the wing-back continues.

Now Brenet's dream has therefore become reality. "A World Cup sometimes feels far away. Last season I was lucky enough to have played a lot, with Livingston and then afterwards in Turkey. And if I can now stand here—I'm not saying at the end of my career, but still quite late—then it feels very special. As a footballer, I've achieved pretty much everything, I think. Champions League, championships, the Gold Cup and now a World Cup. That doesn't sound too bad, does it. After the match I took a moment to be still and looked around me. Enjoying it. Then it dawned on me that I'm on the biggest stage. In that moment I did shed a small tear," said the former PSV player.