CURAÇAO

Curaçao is a 2026 World Cup debutant and the smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup. Population: about 150,000; land area: 443 km². At the 2026 World Cup, Curaçao plays in Group E against Germany, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast. Head coach Dick Advocaat, a Dutchman, will become the oldest manager in World Cup history at 78. The leaders: Leandro Bacuna, Shurandy Sambo, Brandon Alvarez, Juninho Bacuna.

Curaçao is a Caribbean island, a former Dutch colony that obtained partial autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010. Before 2010 the team played as "Netherlands Antilles." At the Caribbean Cup (CONCACAF), the team won the 2017 Caribbean Cup — its biggest trophy ever. Most players come from the Creole diaspora in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Curaçao.

Qualifying was a historic miracle. In November 2025 Curaçao finished first in its CONCACAF group and qualified for its first World Cup. Dick Advocaat, the long-time Netherlands and multi-national coach, took over, then resigned on February 23, 2026, over his daughter's health. Fred Rutten took over temporarily. Advocaat returned on May 11 after his daughter's health improved — a record: the oldest coach in World Cup history. In Group E, against Germany, the task is practically impossible. Matches are in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, and Philadelphia — all three at one stadium. The goal: survive the group with one point.

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