Rutten said the way the Caribbean nation, population 156,000, battled through qualifying boded well for their campaign at the June 11th - July 19th tournament in North America, where they will play Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E.
"We have three chances and the first chance is against Germany," he told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
"So for us it's not over in the first game.
"Generally, if it's a world championship or European championship, there were always surprises.
"And why not this year for us?
"We have a team of fighters, and they never give up."
The 82nd-ranked Caribbeans play world number 27 Australia at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in a friendly on Tuesday, Rutten's second match in charge since succeeding veteran coach and fellow Dutchman Dick Advocaat.
The first was a 2-0 defeat to China in a friendly in Sydney last Friday.
Beating Australia on their own turf would be a major statement before heading to the World Cup, and Rutten said he expected better from his players now that they were acclimatised after a long journey to Australia.
He also said he had resisted making major changes to the side since taking over from Advocaat, who was feted as a hero in Curacao after guiding them through qualifying.
Advocaat stepped down a month ago to spend more time with his unwell daughter, but Rutten said the 78-year-old was keeping tabs on his other footballing "family".
"He wished the team good luck because this team is a family," he said.
"He was part of the family and still feels he is."
