🇨🇼 Curaçao
Population 150,000. The smallest country ever at a World Cup.
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The Smallest Nation Ever
Curaçao have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, representing the CONCACAF confederation. Their presence at the tournament is a proud moment for their football nation and for the fans who have followed this journey through every qualifying match.
Curaçao's 150,000 islanders make this the smallest country by population ever to play a World Cup, and Group E drops them straight into the deep end against Germany, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ecuador. 78-year-old Dick Advocaat, the Netherlands legend now in his seventh international job, engineered the qualifying campaign of a lifetime.
The squad is almost entirely Dutch-league: Cincinnati goalkeeper Eloy Room, Sheffield United midfielder Tahith Chong, and Birmingham City captain Leandro Bacuna pulling the strings. The realistic ambition is to go home with one point, but every Caribbean trip should remember that Trinidad and Tobago famously held Sweden to 0-0 in 2006. The knockout bracket may stay out of reach.
Group E Draw
All 4 teams in Curaçao's group. Top 2 advance automatically, plus the 8 best third-placed teams across all 12 groups.
How the 2026 Group Stage Works
Curaçao's 2026 Squad
Projected, official call-up to be confirmed
Likely first eleven
in a 4-2-3-1.
Editorial first XI based on qualifying form, club minutes, and Dick Advocaat's recent selection. The official sheet is named one hour before kickoff.
- 1Eloy Room
- 2Cuco Martina
- 4Juriaan Bouwmeester
- 5Bart Vriends
- 3Sherel Floranus
- 8Leandro BacunaCAPTAIN
- 7Vurnon Anita
- 17Brandley Kuwas
- 18Roshon van Eijma
- 10Tahith Chong
- 9Tyrese Noslin
All 23 players
Goalkeepers
3 playersDefenders
7 playersMidfielders
6 playersForwards
7 playersEditorial selection based on current first-team form. The final 26-player squad is at the head coach's discretion and is announced approximately one month before the tournament.
Curaçao in CONCACAF
North/Central America (CONCACAF)
CONCACAF sends 6 teams including three co-hosts. Playing at home gives USA, Canada, and Mexico an enormous advantage.
No Ticket? Watch Curaçao At a Fan Zone
Every Curaçao group match is screened live on the giant screen at the FIFA Fan Fest in the host city. Free entry, no queue, just show up. Every other host city also screens every match, so wherever you are, you can join the crowd.
