Dick Advocaat named Curaçao’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on May 18. At 78, Advocaat becomes the oldest head coach in World Cup history, and the first man to lead three different nations at the tournament. The Blue Wave arrive as debutants and as the smallest nation by population, around 156,000 people, ever to reach a FIFA World Cup.
The Curaçao World Cup Squad 2026 leans almost entirely on Dutch-Curaçaoan diaspora talent, with players based across the Netherlands, Turkey, England, Israel, and Malaysia. Captain Leandro Bacuna anchors the midfield. Tahith Chong and Sontje Hansen bring EFL Championship experience to the attack. Curaçao enter Group E ranked 82nd, the bottom seed, after going unbeaten through their entire CONCACAF qualifying run.
Here is your full Curaçao World Cup Squad 2026 list, schedule, and key player breakdown for the 2026 tournament.
Curaçao 26-Player Squad for World Cup 2026
| Position | Player | Club | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Eloy Room | Miami FC | 37 |
| GK | Tyrick Bodak | Telstar | 24 |
| GK | Trevor Doornbusch | VVV-Venlo | 26 |
| DF | Shurandy Sambo | Sparta Rotterdam | 24 |
| DF | Juriën Gaari | Abha | 32 |
| DF | Roshon van Eijma | RKC Waalwijk | 28 |
| DF | Sherel Floranus | PEC Zwolle | 27 |
| DF | Deveron Fonville | NEC | 23 |
| DF | Armando Obispo | PSV | 27 |
| DF | Joshua Brenet | Kayserispor | 32 |
| DF | Riechedly Bazoer | Konyaspor | 29 |
| MF | Leandro Bacuna (C) | Iğdır FK | 34 |
| MF | Juninho Bacuna | Gaziantep | 28 |
| MF | Godfried Roemeratoe | RKC Waalwijk | 26 |
| MF | Livano Comenencia | FC Zürich | 22 |
| MF | Ar’jany Martha | Rotherham United | 22 |
| MF | Tyrese Noslin | Telstar | 23 |
| MF | Kevin Felida | Den Bosch | 26 |
| MF | Tahith Chong | Sheffield United | 26 |
| FW | Jürgen Locadia | Miami FC | 32 |
| FW | Jeremy Antonisse | Kifisia | 24 |
| FW | Sontje Hansen | Middlesbrough | 24 |
| FW | Kenji Gorré | Maccabi Haifa | 31 |
| FW | Jearl Margaritha | Beveren | 26 |
| FW | Brandley Kuwas | Volendam | 33 |
| FW | Gervane Kastaneer | Terengganu FC | 30 |
(C) = captain. Ages as of June 11, 2026. Squad as confirmed on May 18, 2026.
For all 48 team rosters, see our World Cup 2026 squads tracker.
Quick Stats
Key numbers from Advocaat’s historic first World Cup squad.
- Average age: 27.5 years
- Oldest player: Eloy Room (37)
- Youngest players: Livano Comenencia and Ar’jany Martha (22)
- Most-capped players: Leandro Bacuna and Eloy Room (68 caps each)
- Top scorer in squad: Leandro Bacuna (16 international goals)
- Dutch league based players: 11 (Sambo, van Eijma, Floranus, Fonville, Obispo, Roemeratoe, Noslin, Felida, Bodak, Doornbusch, Kuwas)
- English Championship players: 2 (Chong, Hansen)
- World Cup debutants: all 26 players, since this is Curaçao’s first finals squad
Key Players to Watch
Leandro Bacuna (C) | Iğdır FK
Bacuna shares Curaçao’s all-time appearance record with Eloy Room, both on 68 caps, and he wears the captain’s armband. He’s the second-highest scorer in the team’s history with 16 international goals. The 34-year-old spent years in England with Aston Villa, Cardiff City, Reading, and Watford before moving to Turkey. He runs the midfield and he’s the dressing room’s most experienced voice.
Tahith Chong | Sheffield United
Chong was born in Willemstad, Curaçao and came through Manchester United’s academy before settling at Sheffield United. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder switched allegiance from the Netherlands to Curaçao and scored twice in the September 2025 qualifying win over Bermuda. He’s the squad’s most recognisable name for English football fans.
Sontje Hansen | Middlesbrough
Hansen is 24 and one of the squad’s most direct attackers. He plays in the EFL Championship for Middlesbrough and brings pace and width to the left of Curaçao’s front line. He came through Dutch football’s development system and scored in the 7-0 rout of Bermuda in November 2025. He can hurt teams in transition.
Juninho Bacuna | Gaziantep
Leandro’s younger brother operates in central midfield and has 13 international goals, the squad’s second-best return. The 28-year-old played in the Dutch Eredivisie before moving to Turkish football. He’s been one of Curaçao’s most dangerous players through qualifying. He scored in the 7-0 win over Bermuda alongside his brother.
Gervane Kastaneer | Terengganu FC
Kastaneer has nine international goals and was among the most involved attackers during qualifying. The 30-year-old winger now plays in the Malaysian Super League after spells in the Netherlands and Belgium. He covers ground and creates on the break. Advocaat will rotate him in the wide areas alongside Hansen.
Eloy Room | Miami FC
Room is Curaçao’s joint most-capped player with 68 appearances. The 37-year-old kept goal for PSV Eindhoven and spent five seasons with Columbus Crew in MLS before joining Miami FC in 2026. He has the experience to organise a back line under pressure. Against Germany, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast, he’ll be busy.
Curaçao World Cup 2026 Schedule
Curaçao play all three group matches in the United States, across Houston, Kansas City, and Philadelphia. Curaçao does not observe daylight saving time and sits at UTC-4, the same offset as US Eastern Time during the tournament. Local kick-off times match Eastern Time exactly.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Kickoff (ET) | Kickoff (Curaçao) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 2026 | Germany | Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium), Houston, TX | 1:00 PM | 1:00 PM |
| Jun 20, 2026 | Ecuador | Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), Kansas City, MO | 8:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| Jun 25, 2026 | Ivory Coast | Philadelphia Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field), Philadelphia, PA | 4:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
All kick-off times follow the official FIFA match schedule, with group positions confirmed from the December 5, 2025 draw. Curaçao warmed up with a friendly against Scotland on May 30 and faced Aruba on June 6 before flying to their Houston base. Check the full 2026 World Cup schedule for knockout fixtures once the group stage ends.
How Curaçao Qualified for World Cup 2026
Curaçao swept the first round of CONCACAF qualification with four wins from four. They advanced to the third round in Group B, alongside Jamaica, Bermuda, and Trinidad and Tobago. The path was tighter there, but Curaçao didn’t lose a single game across the whole campaign.
The group stage had nervy moments. Curaçao drew 0-0 in Trinidad on September 5, then beat Bermuda 3-2 at home four days later, with Tahith Chong scoring twice. A 2-0 win over Jamaica and a 1-1 draw with Trinidad and Tobago kept them top. Then came November 13: a 7-0 demolition of Bermuda away, with Leandro Bacuna opening from the penalty spot and Sontje Hansen, Juninho Bacuna, and Ar’jany Martha all scoring.
On November 18, 2025, Curaçao travelled to Kingston and held Jamaica to a 0-0 draw. The point sealed it. They topped CONCACAF Group B and became the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup. Their qualifying record: played 10, won seven, drew three, lost none, 28 goals scored, five conceded.
Head Coach: Dick Advocaat
Dick Advocaat was born on September 27, 1947 in The Hague, Netherlands. At 78 when the tournament begins, he’s the oldest coach in World Cup history. He managed the Netherlands at the 1994 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals, and led South Korea at the 2006 World Cup. Curaçao make him the first manager to take three different nations to the finals. He’s also coached clubs in the Netherlands, Russia, Scotland, Turkey, Germany, and England.
Advocaat guided the qualification campaign that made history, then stepped down early in 2026 because of his daughter’s illness. Fred Rutten replaced him, but after two warm-up losses to Australia and China in March, and growing player unrest, Rutten resigned on May 11. Advocaat returned the next day and named his 26-man squad on May 18. His preferred system is a disciplined 4-4-2 that sits in a low block, limits space, and hits teams on the counter.
Group E at a Glance
Curaçao are in Group E alongside Germany, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast. Here’s how the group looks going in.
| Team | FIFA Ranking | World Cup Appearances | Best Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 9th | 20 (1934-2022) | Winner (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) |
| Ecuador | 23rd | 4 (2002-2022) | Round of 16 (2006) |
| Ivory Coast | 42nd | 3 (2006-2014) | Group stage (2006, 2010, 2014) |
| Curaçao | 82nd | Debut (2026) | Debut tournament |
Rankings from the November 2025 FIFA update, used for seeding at the December 5, 2025 draw. World Cup appearances are pre-2026 figures.
Germany have won the tournament four times and are clear group favourites. Ecuador reached the round of 16 in 2006 and have four appearances. Ivory Coast carry three group-stage exits from three attempts. Curaçao have never met Germany or Ecuador in a competitive match. They drew 2-2 with Ivory Coast in a 2009 friendly, their only previous meeting. Second place behind Germany is open. See the full breakdown at the 2026 World Cup groups hub.
FAQ About Curaçao World Cup Squad 2026
What is Curaçao’s nickname?
Curaçao’s national team is known as The Blue Wave, a nod to the Caribbean island’s ocean colours. The name spread as the team reached the CONCACAF Gold Cup knockouts in 2019 and then qualified for the World Cup in 2025.
Why do so many Curaçao players come from the Netherlands?
Curaçao is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which gives many Curaçaoan players Dutch passports and access to Dutch academies. A FIFA rule change also lets players who featured for the Netherlands at youth level switch to Curaçao at senior level. Tahith Chong and Sontje Hansen both made that switch.
Is Dick Advocaat really the oldest coach at a World Cup?
Yes. Advocaat was born September 27, 1947, making him 78 when the 2026 tournament begins. He passes the previous record of 71 years and 317 days, set by Otto Rehhagel with Greece in 2010. Advocaat is also the first manager to lead three different nations at a World Cup.
What is Curaçao’s population, and why does that make their qualification historic?
Curaçao has a population of around 156,000 people. That makes them the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, below the previous mark held by Iceland in 2018.
What kit does Curaçao wear at the 2026 World Cup?
Curaçao wear Adidas, having signed with the brand in 2025. Their home colours are blue and yellow, drawn from the island’s flag. It is the first Adidas kit the team has worn at a World Cup finals.
Curaçao’s World Cup 2026 Hopes
The Curaçao World Cup Squad 2026 faces the steepest possible group. Germany don’t drop group games lightly. Ecuador and Ivory Coast are seasoned World Cup nations with stronger squads on paper. Advocaat’s team is built for organisation and discipline, not for outscoring opponents. Their best chance of a result is June 25 against Ivory Coast in Philadelphia.
Eight third-placed teams advance to the Round of 32, so Curaçao don’t need to win the group to write more history. They need competitive performances and one moment to believe in. A nation of roughly 156,000 people reached the biggest stage in football. Now they get to play on it.
