Curaçao World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June. The plan A Fifa member since 2011, Curaçao have spent years building towards a first World Cup appearance. As an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the island has been able to draw on a rich pool of Dutch-raised talent with Curaçaoan roots. They were well prepared for the qualifying cycle and had an advantage with the World Cup being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. “We knew we wouldn’t face them in qualifying, which often proved a stumbling block,” said the goalkeeper Eloy Room about this edition’s Concacaf format. “So that became a real trigger for all of us, like: ‘if there’s a chance to reach the World Cup, it’s now.’” Room mentions important qualifying games against Haiti, a 5-1 win, and the goalless draw with Trinidad that made them realise something special could be possible. Then came the home game against Jamaica, which Curaçao went on to win 2-0. When they drew the reverse leg 0-0, they achieved the unthinkable and qualified for the World Cup , remaining unbeaten in their 10 matches and making them the smallest nation to take part in a World Cup, both in population, about 156,000, and land area, 171 square miles. …