Willemstad, curaçao – In a stunning upset that reverberates across the world of football, Curaçao has qualified for the 2026 World Cup, marking the first time the Caribbean nation will participate in the tournament’s history. The improbable journey culminated in a decisive victory in the third round of qualifying, overcoming established rivals Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago to top Group B.
Curaçao, a small island nation north of Venezuela and part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, only played its first international match in 2011. Previously competing as the Territory of Curaçao, the nation’s football programme has steadily grown, despite a prior record of six wins in 18 World Cup qualifying matches across three campaigns. This qualification represents a monumental leap forward for the team and a source of national pride.
The team’s success is fueled by players with international experience. Brothers Leandro and Juninho Bacuna both have Premier League backgrounds, having played for Aston villa and Huddersfield Town respectively. kenji gorré, a key player with 35 international caps, also boasts a connection to English football, having come through the ranks at Manchester United after his father joined Huddersfield in 1999. Gorré now plays in Israel, following a career that has taken him to Portugal and Qatar.
“It’s not really sunk in yet,” Gorré said, speaking with a Mancunian accent. ”What if we do get England? What if we do get Holland? What if we do get Brazil? It will be phenomenal.”
Curaçao’s path to qualification saw a perfect record in the opening group phase, with victories over St Lucia, Aruba, Barbados, and a meaningful win against Haiti, another team qualifying for the North American tournament. A crucial 2-0 home win against Jamaica last month, coupled with a dominant 7-0 thrashing of Bermuda, propelled them to the top of their group.
The qualification was sealed with dramatic tension, as a late injury-time penalty awarded to Jamaica was overturned after a VAR review. ”All the emotions were flying up in the air. He goes to the VAR and he says ‘no penalty’,” Gorré recounted. “My heart just dropped again and we were like, wow, we are actually going to the World Cup. This is destiny. this is meant to be.”
