Bacuna
Curaçao is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, a Caribbean island 60 kilometers off the coast of Venezuela with a population of roughly 156,000 people. It is now the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the World Cup, surpassing Iceland's record from 2018. When Dick Advocaat named his 26-man squad on May 18, the island's football journey crossed a threshold that most of the Caribbean had assumed was permanent: they qualified, they are here, and they are not apologizing for it.
The qualifying campaign was remarkable. Curaçao went unbeaten through CONCACAF qualifying — seven wins and three draws — finishing as the region's top scorers across all three stages with 28 goals, keeping six clean sheets in 10 matches. On the final matchday, they traveled to Jamaica needing a draw to secure their place. A penalty was awarded against them late in the match, then overturned by VAR. They held on.
The coaching story alone is worth the entry fee. Advocaat, 78, guided Curaçao through qualifying before stepping down in early 2026 to care for his seriously ill daughter. Fred Rutten replaced him but resigned on May 11 after internal tensions with players and sponsors who wanted Advocaat back. A day later, following improvements in his daughter's condition, Advocaat returned to the dugout. He is now the oldest manager in World Cup history.
The squad
Goalkeepers: Eloy Room (Miami FC), Trevor Doornbusch (VVV-Venlo), Tyrick Bodak (Telstar)
Defenders: Riechedly Bazoer (Konyaspor), Joshua Brenet (Kayserispor), Roshon van Eijma (RKC Waalwijk), Sherel Floranus (PEC Zwolle), Deveron Fonville (NEC Nijmegen), Juriën Gaari (Abha), Armando Obispo (PSV Eindhoven), Shurandy Sambo (Sparta Rotterdam)
Midfielders: Juninho Bacuna (FC Volendam), Leandro Bacuna (Iğdır FK), Livano Comenencia (FC Zürich), Kevin Felida (FC Den Bosch), Ar'jany Martha (Rotherham United), Tyrese Noslin (Telstar), Godfried Roemeratoe (RKC Waalwijk)
Forwards: Jeremy Antonisse (AE Kifisia), Tahith Chong (Sheffield United), Kenji Gorré (Maccabi Haifa), Sontje Hansen (Middlesbrough), Gervane Kastaneer (Terengganu FC), Brandley Kuwas (FC Volendam), Jürgen Locadia (Miami FC), Jearl Margaritha (SK Beveren)
What it tells you
This is, in every meaningful sense, a Dutch squad playing under a Caribbean flag. The vast majority of the players were born or raised in the Netherlands, hold Dutch passports, and play in the Eredivisie or the lower divisions of Dutch football. Eight of the 26 are currently with Eredivisie clubs. The Bacuna brothers — Leandro, the captain with over 50 caps and former Aston Villa and Cardiff midfielder, and Juninho, a creative force at FC Volendam — provide the midfield's heartbeat. Armando Obispo of PSV Eindhoven is the highest-profile defender. Tahith Chong, a product of Manchester United's academy now at Sheffield United, is the most recognized attacker.
Several players carry Bundesliga experience: Bazoer played for Wolfsburg, Brenet for Hoffenheim, Locadia for both Hoffenheim and Bochum. This is not a squad of unknowns — it is a squad of journeymen, players who have moved through European football's middle tiers and found a national team that gives their careers a purpose beyond club contracts.
Gervane Kastaneer was the top scorer in qualifying with five goals, including a hat-trick against Saint Lucia. He plays for Terengganu FC in Malaysia, which tells you everything about the range of leagues this squad draws from. Rangelo Janga, Curaçao's all-time leading scorer with 21 goals, was not selected — Advocaat has chosen form and system fit over historical status.
Advocaat has been here before — at the 2006 World Cup with South Korea, at Euro 2004 with the Netherlands, at the helm of clubs across five countries for four decades. He knows what tournament football demands. The compact 4-3-3 he has built, designed to absorb pressure and punish on the counter, is a system designed to make life uncomfortable for teams that underestimate them.
For 156,000 people on a small island in the Caribbean, this is the biggest moment in their sporting history.
Curaçao are in Group E alongside Germany, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador. They open against Germany on June 14 at NRG Stadium in Houston, face Ecuador on June 20 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and conclude against Ivory Coast on June 25 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.