Curacao Reaches World Cup for First Time After Big Victory

Curacao has achieved one of the most remarkable moments in its football history by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the very first time. The small Caribbean island, with a population of just over 150,000 people, will now compete on the world’s biggest football stage in 2026. This is a huge accomplishment for a nation smaller than many towns and cities around the world.

Curacao’s success becomes even more impressive when compared to previous records. Before this, the smallest nation to reach the World Cup was Iceland in 2018, but Iceland is far larger in size and population. Curacao, with only 171 square miles of land, has now earned a place among the world’s top footballing nations.

Just ten years ago, Curacao was ranked 150th in FIFA’s world rankings. Today, they stand at 82nd, showing steady improvement year after year. Their progress has been supported by strong leadership, good coaching, and talented players who believed they could achieve something special.

Curacao only became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010. Before that, it was part of the Netherlands Antilles. In just over a decade, the nation has built a football program capable of reaching the World Cup.

Curacao’s qualification came after a long and successful campaign. They played ten qualifying matches, winning seven of them and finishing the campaign unbeaten. Their performances showed confidence, teamwork, and discipline throughout the entire tournament.

However, the final moments of their last match created huge tension. In the fourth minute of added time, Curacao substitute Jeremy Antonisse appeared to foul Isaac Hayden inside the penalty area. The referee immediately awarded a penalty, and the Curacao players were stunned.

But after a video review, the referee watched the incident again and cancelled the penalty. The Curacao supporters celebrated with relief, knowing that this decision protected their World Cup dream. Just moments later, the match ended, and celebrations started across the island.

Curacao becomes one of the debut teams at the 2026 World Cup. They join Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, and Jordan, who also qualified for the first time. The expanded format of the tournament — increasing from 32 teams to 48 — gave more nations the opportunity to reach the finals.

Since hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States already qualify automatically, more qualifying spots were available for teams in the region. Curacao took full advantage and made history.

Before the final match, Curacao midfielder Juninho Bacuna described what this moment would mean for the country. He said qualifying would be one of the biggest achievements in Curacao’s history, and he was right. Bacuna also shared that only a few years ago, such a dream felt impossible. Now, the dream has become reality.

Curacao coach Dick Advocaat, aged 78, will also make history as the oldest coach ever to lead a team at the World Cup. He will break the previous record set in 2010.

Curacao will be joined at the World Cup by Haiti and Panama. Haiti qualified for their first World Cup since 1974 after a strong 2–0 win against Nicaragua. Panama also confirmed their place.

Jamaica, who missed their chance to qualify directly, will now have to compete in the Intercontinental Play-Offs.

Curacao’s qualification is more than just a sporting achievement. It is a story of determination, belief, and progress for a small nation that refused to give up. The team, the coaches, and the entire island now look forward to the 2026 World Cup, where they will proudly represent their country for the first time in history.