World Cup 2026 Ultimate Guide: Curacao

Curacao’s first-ever World Cup match will pit them against Germany in what is hardly the easiest introduction to football’s biggest stage, given Die Mannschaft’s status as one of the tournament’s traditional powerhouses. They will then take on Ecuador and Ivory Coast, with the quality of both those opponents making Curacao the clear underdog in Group E.

And yet they have already demonstrated that they are capable of springing surprises. Their emphatic 5-1 victory over a highly-rated Haiti side during qualification serves as proof that they have enough quality to make life difficult for anyone.

The man who secured World Cup qualification for Curacao very nearly missed the tournament altogether.

In February, Dick Advocaat announced his immediate resignation in order to devote "all of his attention" to his daughter, who was experiencing health problems. Curacao responded by appointing another Dutchman, Fred Rutten, to replace Advocaat.

However, after two defeats in March, to China and Australia, Rutten also stepped down. Advocaat subsequently agreed to return, meaning that, at 78 years of age, he will become the oldest coach in World Cup history, while marking 32 years since he first took charge of a team at the tournament following his leadership of the Netherlands in 1994.

Tactically, Curacao alternate between 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formations and a more defensive 3-4-3 or 5-4-1 setup, depending on the opponent and the need to maximise the technical ability of their attacking players.

Without question, Curacao’s standout figure is Leandro Bacuna. The former Aston Villa midfielder, who now plies his trade in Turkiye, is not only one of Curacao’s most technically gifted players, but also one of its most accomplished.

Alongside goalkeeper Eloy Room, Bacuna holds the national-team appearance record, and is also Curacao’s second-highest scorer of all time with 16 goals, trailing only Rangelo Janga’s 21.

He will likely overtake that mark before retiring, although he may also need to keep an eye on the player sitting third on the all-time scoring list with 14 goals - his younger brother, Juninho, whom has been deployed as a false nine as well in midfield during the tournament’s build-up.

Curacao’s squad is filled with players who came through the academies of major clubs or who have experience in high-level leagues. Defenders Joshua Brenet, Mike Eerdhuijzen Obispo and Riechedly Bazoer developed in the Netherlands; the Bacuna brothers and striker Jurgen Locadia built their careers in England; while midfielder Livano Comenencia spent time in Juventus’ system.

However, the player who has attracted the most attention throughout his development is Tahith Chong. A product of Manchester United’s academy and a Dutch passport holder, Chong represented the Netherlands at every youth level up to Under-21s before choosing to represent the Blue Wave.

He arrives in North America after establishing himself as a reliable performer in the upper reaches of the Championship during spells with Birmingham City, Luton Town, and Sheffield United.

Chong is not a prolific goal-scorer, but he is the kind of attacking player capable of producing something special at any moment - just as he did against Scotland in Curacao’s penultimate warm-up match in May.

The 26-year-old’s pace, creativity, and unpredictability make him one of Curacao’s most dangerous weapons, and perhaps their best hope of causing an upset on the world stage.