It is impossible to ignore the enthusiasm coming out of Aruba’s Rovien Ostiana. The all-time top scorer in the history of the Caribbean nation is still grinning from ear to ear more than a week after their conquest of the FIFA Series 2026™ Rwanda.
Aruba downed Asian outfit Macau and then European side Liechtenstein each by a 4-1 scoreline to claim their most prestigious title. The tournament was a smashing success for the islanders and could well be the catalyst for greater things to come.
Ostiana recently spoke with FIFA about their Rwandan triumph, the future of Aruban football and trying to follow in Curaçao’s footsteps.
Rovien Ostiana: It’s the first time that we went to Africa, and we went there with the idea that we were going play two games against two countries that we would normally never face. For us, for everyone, it was a new experience. We went there with a good feeling, good spirit. We didn’t know that we were going to play for a cup or that we were going to get anything if we won. Everything changed as soon as we heard that we could get a prize or a cup to take back home, so I would say 100 per cent that the FIFA Series was a big success for Aruba.
Everything changed from the minute we knew that. I think after the game against Macau, that’s when the coaching staff told us that if we win the final, we get a prize. I think they knew it already, but they didn’t want to tell us.
It was a great challenge. Knowing that they’re playing big countries, they played Belgium, they played all the big boys, the elite. We thought that it was going to be a difficult game because they lose every time against the big countries, but now they are the headliner, the bigger country, and we are the smaller team, we are the Liechtenstein now. So in our head, it was difficult to believe that we actually beat them.
Personally, I enjoyed it. As soon as we touched down in Rwanda, everything was FIFA Series. We saw everywhere ‘FIFA Series 2026’. Everyone was excited to see us. Everyone was ready to help us. And I think that brought the boys together. At that moment we realised that what we’re doing for our country is appreciated all over the world. We’re all looking forward to the next FIFA Series, or maybe if something bigger comes, we’ll be ready for that moment.
This is the greatest accomplishment because the ABC Cups is only Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and is not as serious. I think Aruba won it once or twice, but it’s not like the FIFA Series in which we’re playing against countries all over the world. The ABC Cup is more relaxed; this was serious. Everything was organised. Some players from Aruba flew over 24 hours to get to Rwanda.
Yes, and if you speak to the boys now, everyone is saying that we can beat all the countries (laughs), the boost that we have right now is above our heads! That’s a good thing for us, especially now because last year we got relegated from League B to League C [in Concacaf Nations League]. Now we’re going into League C this year with a focus and with a mindset that we beat out Macau, Liechtenstein and Tanzania and played good games against Haiti. I think for now, the focus is getting to the [Concacaf] Gold Cup first. And after we get to the Gold Cup, we’ll think about the bigger stages.
We always have to dream big. We’ve seen the level of the group stages in the qualifiers. At the time, there wasn’t a really good balance in the team, every international window we had new players or injuries. Now we have the same squad for over four games now. Everyone that plays for Aruba is good, but now we’re really getting to a level that we have to fight for our position.
We’re building a team so that we can go and win things. And of course we look up to Curaçao, they are the bigger version of Aruba. We talk the same language, everything. We’re trying to follow their footsteps. They first qualified for the Gold Cup and that’s what we’re going to do. And then hopefully in about 10 years also, or maybe shorter than that, we can qualify for the World Cup.
I 100 per cent believe in that, and that’s what we starting to realise now. Players that are falling off from the squad from Curaçao are starting to join Aruba now because they have grandparents that live in Aruba or they’re half from Aruba, half Curaçao. It’s the same with the Suriname squad. I think that’s where our power is now; that we have to find the half Dutch, half Aruba players with the Dutch football chemistry. That will make us better.
Yes, I really think it could be. And it’s also for the younger players that are still in academies right now, as we have a few in our team also that are in U-19s or U-23s at their clubs. They now realise that it’s possible that we can win prizes. It’s possible that we can beat countries like Liechtenstein. If you play with your heart like we did in Rwanda, everything is possible. That’s what our motto is right now, that everything is possible if you play with your heart.
Photos courtesy of @dac.images
