The smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup arrives after an unbeaten Concacaf campaign
CURAÇAO 🇨🇼
FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group E
The Big Picture
Curaçao has made football history. The Caribbean island has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time ever, completing an unbeaten Concacaf qualifying campaign.
With a population of around 150,000, Curaçao becomes the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup — a remarkable achievement for one of international football’s fastest-rising stories.
Coach
Dick Advocaat led Curaçao through a historic qualification campaign, bringing decades of experience to a team full of belief and Caribbean identity.
The veteran Dutch coach, nicknamed “The Little General,” has managed clubs and national teams across the world. At 78, he becomes one of the oldest coaches ever to guide a team to a FIFA World Cup.
Group E Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Germany vs Curaçao | Houston Stadium |
| June 20 | Ecuador vs Curaçao | TBD |
| June 25 | Curaçao vs Côte d’Ivoire | TBD |
Road to 2026
Curaçao topped Group B in the third round of Concacaf qualifying after holding Jamaica to a dramatic 0-0 draw in Kingston.
The Blue Wave went unbeaten across ten qualifying matches, beating Barbados, Aruba, Saint Lucia, and Haiti in the second round before impressing against Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bermuda in the final stage.
Highlights included a 2-0 home victory over Jamaica and a dominant 7-0 win against Bermuda.
World Cup History
- Confederation: Concacaf
- World Cup appearances: 1
- Best result: Debut in 2026
- First appearance: 2026
- Historic milestone: Smallest nation ever to qualify for the FIFA World Cup
A Football Nation Is Born
For decades, baseball was the dominant sport on the island. But Curaçao’s football growth accelerated after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles and the creation of its own football federation.
The arrival of Patrick Kluivert in 2015 helped professionalize the project, attract Dutch-Caribbean talent, and build the foundations for the success that followed.
Players to Watch
- Leandro Bacuna – Captain, midfield leader, and symbol of the national team’s rise.
- Juninho Bacuna – Energetic midfielder and key figure alongside his brother.
- Kenji Gorré – Explosive winger and one of Curaçao’s most dangerous attacking weapons.
Greatest Football Moment
Curaçao’s greatest football moment came on the final night of Concacaf qualifying, when the team earned a 0-0 draw away to Jamaica and secured its first-ever World Cup berth.
Across the island and among Curaçao communities abroad, the final whistle sparked celebrations for a nation that had just written one of the most extraordinary stories in World Cup qualifying history.
The 2026 Challenge
Curaçao enters Group E with Germany, Ecuador, and Côte d’Ivoire — a demanding test for a first-time World Cup nation.
But after an unbeaten qualification run, the Blue Wave arrives with confidence, organization, and nothing to fear.
2026 Expectations
Curaçao has already made history by qualifying. Now the Blue Wave wants to prove that this remarkable journey is only the beginning.
CURAÇAO
Goalkeepers
- #1 Eloy Room (Inter Miami CF, United States)
- #25 Tyrick Bodak (Telstar, Netherlands)
- #26 Trevor Doornbusch (VVV-Venlo, Netherlands)
Defenders
- #2 Shurandy Sambo (Telstar, Netherlands)
- #3 Juriën Gaari (Albacete, Spain)
- #4 Roshon Van Eijma (RKC Waalwijk, Netherlands)
- #5 Sherel Floranus (PEC Zwolle, Netherlands)
- #17 Brandley Kuwas (FC Volendam, Netherlands)
- #18 Armando Obispo (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands)
- #21 Tahith Chong (Sheffield United, England)
- #23 Riechedly Bazoer (Konyaspor, Turkey)
- #24 Deveron Fonville (NEC Nijmegen, Netherlands)
Midfielders
- #6 Godfried Roemeratoe (RKC Waalwijk, Netherlands)
- #7 Juninho Bacuna (FC Volendam, Netherlands)
- #8 Livano Comenencia (FC Zürich, Switzerland)
- #12 Sontje Hansen (Middlesbrough, England)
- #13 Tyrese Noslin (St. Pauli, Germany)
- #15 Ar’Jany Martha (Rotherham United, England)
- #20 Joshua Brenet (Kayserispor, Turkey)
- #22 Kevin Felida (FC Den Bosch, Netherlands)
Forwards
- #9 Jürgen Locadia (Miami FC, United States)
- #10 Leandro Bacuna (Iğdır FK, Turkey)
- #11 Jeremy Antonisse (AEK Larnaca, Cyprus)
- #14 Kenji Gorré (Maccabi Haifa, Israel)
- #16 Jearl Margaritha (VfB Stuttgart II, Germany)
- #19 Gervane Kastaneer (Terengganu FC, Malaysia)
Head Coach
- Dick Advocaat (Netherlands)
