Curaçao compete in Group Five of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Record:
Qualification: Drawn in CONCACAF qualifying Group Two alongside Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, and Jamaica, the World Cup surprise package had a particularly tense battle with the "Reggae Boyz" — winning 2–0 in the first leg before holding on for a decisive 0–0 draw in Kingston. The Dutch Antilles side went unbeaten — three draws and three wins — to book their historic first World Cup appearance.
Coach: Dick Advocaat. The 78-year-old Dutchman who led Curaçao to qualification before resigning to care for his ill daughter eventually returned to the role, after a brief caretaker spell under compatriot Freid Rutten that produced two losses. Advocaat is one of football's great globetrotters, having managed the Netherlands (at the 1994 World Cup), Russia, Serbia, Belgium, South Korea, and Iraq, as well as clubs including PSV, Rangers, Zenit St. Petersburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Fenerbahçe.
Star player: Leandro Bacuna. At 34, with 68 international caps, midfielder and captain Leandro Bacuna — who played for Aston Villa between 2013 and 2017 — is the team's backbone, a role he shares with his brother Juninho, a more attack-minded midfielder, aged 28 with 47 caps. Also notable is goalkeeper Eloy Room (37), still playing for Miami FC this season, who excelled throughout qualifying.
Ambitions: In their debut World Cup appearance, even under the expanded 48-team format, Curaçao face a tough road out of Group Five, which includes favourites Germany, a strong Ivory Coast, and Ecuador — led by Chelsea's Moisés Caicedo and PSG's Willian Pacho.