Curaçao arrive at the 2026 World Cup making their first ever appearance at the tournament, and they do so as the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the global showpiece. With just over 150,000 residents on an island off the Venezuelan coast, the Blue Wave have no World Cup history to draw on: their predecessor, the Netherlands Antilles, never qualified either. Their identity is built on an unlikely blend of Caribbean pride and Dutch football culture, with a squad composed almost entirely of players born in the Netherlands but carrying deep family ties to the island. Only one member of the 26 man squad, forward Tahith Chong, was born on Curaçao itself.

Curaçao earned their place through one of the most composed qualifying campaigns CONCACAF has ever seen, going unbeaten across ten matches in total, winning seven and drawing three. In the final round they topped Group B ahead of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bermuda, leading the region with 28 goals scored and an average possession of 62.1 percent. They clinched their spot on 11/18/25, holding Jamaica to a goalless draw in Kingston. A VAR review overturned a Jamaican penalty in stoppage time, preserving the point that made history. The side will be led at the tournament by 78 year old head coach Dick Advocaat, the oldest manager in World Cup history.