Curaçao national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Curaçao

Nickname	Pantera Negra / The Blue Wave
Association	Federashon Futbòl Kòrsou (FFK)
Confederation	CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation	CFU (Caribbean)
Head coach	Dick Advocaat
Captain	Leandro Bacuna
Most caps	Leandro Bacuna and Eloy Room (75)
Top scorer	Rangelo Janga (21)
Home stadium	Ergilio Hato Stadium
FIFA code	CUW
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	NR (7 February 2019)
Highest	68 (July 2017)
Lowest	188 (December 2003)
First international
As the Territory of Curaçao: Aruba 0–4 Curaçao  (Aruba, 6 April 1924) As the Netherlands Antilles  Netherlands Antilles 3–1 Panama  (Guatemala City, Guatemala; 4 March 1948) As the Country of Curaçao:  Dominican Republic 1–0 Curaçao  (San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic; 18 August 2011)
Biggest win
As the Territory of Curaçao:  Curaçao 14–0 Puerto Rico  (Barranquilla, Colombia, 21 December 1948) As the Netherlands Antilles  Netherlands Antilles 15–0 Puerto Rico  (Caracas, Venezuela; 15 January 1959) As the Country of Curaçao:  Curaçao 10–0 Grenada  (Willemstad, Curaçao; 10 September 2018)
Biggest defeat
As the Territory of Curaçao:  Netherlands 8–1 Curaçao  (Netherlands, 23 April 1948) As the Netherlands Antilles  Netherlands 8–0 Netherlands Antilles  (Amsterdam, Netherlands; 5 September 1962)  Mexico 8–0 Netherlands Antilles  (Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 8 December 1973) As the Country of Curaçao:  Argentina 7–0 Curaçao  (Santiago del Estero, Argentina; 28 March 2023)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2026)
Best result	Group stage (2026)
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 2017)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2019)
Medal record Caribbean Cup Gold 2017 Martinique Team

The Curaçao national football team (also known as Pantera Negra or The Blue Wave) is the official football team that represents the island of Curaçao in international men's football matches. The team is managed by the Federashon Futbòl Kòrsou (FFK).

Curaçao has a unique history in football. Before 2010, players from Curaçao played for the Netherlands Antilles. After the Netherlands Antilles dissolved, Curaçao formed its own national team in 2011. Both FIFA and CONCACAF recognize Curaçao as the direct successor to the teams that played as the Territory of Curaçao (from 1921 to 1958) and the Netherlands Antilles (from 1958 to 2010).

In November 2025, the team made history by qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This made Curaçao the smallest nation by both population and land area to ever reach the tournament. They also became the first non-sovereign national team from the Americas to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

The Journey of Curaçao Football

The story of Curaçao's national football team began a long time ago. The first team representing Curaçao played its very first match in 1924. They won 4-0 against their neighbors, Aruba.

In 1954, the territory of Curaçao became part of the Netherlands Antilles. This new country included several islands like Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The football team then changed its name to the Netherlands Antilles national team, representing all these islands.

Later, in 1986, Aruba became its own country and formed its own football team. So, Aruban players no longer played for the Netherlands Antilles.

On October 10, 2010, the Netherlands Antilles officially dissolved. Curaçao and Sint Maarten became separate countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The other islands, Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius, became part of the Netherlands itself. Even though Curaçao is not a fully independent country, FIFA recognized its new national team in March 2011. Curaçao took over the historical records and FIFA ranking of the former Netherlands Antilles team.

The new Curaçao national team played its first match on August 20, 2011. They lost 1-0 to the Dominican Republic.

During the qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Curaçao achieved a big success. They defeated Cuba based on the away goals rule, which means they scored more goals in their opponent's stadium.

First Steps in the CONCACAF Gold Cup

Curaçao showed great skill in the 2017 Caribbean Cup. They beat host team Martinique 2-1 in the semi-finals. Then, they faced the strong defending champions, Jamaica, and won again with a 2-1 score! This victory meant Curaçao won its first-ever Caribbean Cup and qualified for its first CONCACAF Gold Cup.

In the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Curaçao was in a tough group with Jamaica, El Salvador, and Mexico. They lost all their matches in this first appearance.

However, they came back stronger in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In their group, they played against El Salvador, Jamaica, and Honduras. On June 21, 2019, Curaçao celebrated its first Gold Cup win, beating Honduras 1-0 with a goal from Leandro Bacuna. A dramatic goal by Juriën Gaari in stoppage time against Jamaica helped Curaçao finish second in their group, moving them to the knockout stage. They eventually lost to the United States in the quarter-finals.

Making History: The FIFA World Cup Debut

In November 2025, Curaçao made football history. They drew 0-0 against Jamaica in a qualifying match. This result meant Curaçao qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the very first time! They became the smallest nation by both population and land area to ever qualify for the tournament.

Just before the World Cup, their coach Dick Advocaat briefly stepped down for personal reasons but returned in May 2026. This made him the oldest manager to coach a team in the FIFA World Cup.

Curaçao played its first World Cup match on June 14, 2026, against Germany. Livano Comenencia scored Curaçao's first-ever World Cup goal, but Germany won the match 7-1. In their second match on June 20, 2026, Curaçao earned its first World Cup point with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador. Goalkeeper Eloy Room was amazing, making 15 saves and being named Man of the Match. On June 25, 2026, Curaçao played its final group stage match against Ivory Coast, losing 0-2.

Team Colors and Sponsors

Kit Sponsorship

Kit supplier	Period
Score	1990–2002
Beltona	2002–2015
Nike	2016–2023
Kelme	2024–2025
Adidas	2025–present

Recent Matches and Schedule

Here are some of the recent match results for the Curaçao national football team.

      Win       Draw       Loss

2025 Matches

Bermuda  v  Curaçao

13 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Bermuda	0–7	Curaçao	Hamilton, Bermuda
20:00 AST			Leandro Bacuna  6' (pen.) Juninho Bacuna  32' Jordi Paulina  48' (pen.), 63' Sontje Hansen  59' Arjany Martha  82' Roshon van Eijma  90+3'	Stadium: Bermuda National Stadium Attendance: 1,181 Referee: Tori Penso (United States)

Jamaica  v  Curaçao

18 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Jamaica	0–0	Curaçao	Kingston, Jamaica
20:00 AST				Stadium: Independence Park Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador)

2026 FIFA World Cup Matches

Germany  v  Curaçao

14 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group E	Germany	7–1	Curaçao	Houston, Texas, United States
12:00 CDT	Nmecha  6' Schlotterbeck  38' Havertz  45+5' (pen.) Musiala  47' Brown  68' Undav  78'		Comenencia  21'	Stadium: NRG Stadium Attendance: 68,021 Referee: Jalal Jayed (Morocco)

Ecuador  v  Curaçao

20 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group E	Ecuador	0–0	Curaçao	Kansas City, Missouri, United States
19:00 CDT				Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium Attendance: 68,598 Referee: Ma Ning (China)

Curaçao  v  Ivory Coast

25 June 2026 FIFA World Cup Group E	Curaçao	0–2	Ivory Coast	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
16:00 UTC−4			Pépé  7', 64'	Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field Attendance: 68,324 Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)

Coaching Team

Current head coach Dick Advocaat, who led Curaçao to its first ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup.

Position	Name
Head coach	Dick Advocaat
Assistant coach	Cor Pot
Assistant coach	Giovanni Franken
Assistant coach	Dean Gorré
Goalkeeper coach	Raymond Mulder
Performance coach	Angelo Cijntje
Video Analyst	Jim Smit
Doctor	Suzanne Huurman
Press Officer	Vincent Schildkamp
Team Manager	Wouter Jansen
Content Creator	Anouar Amrani

Past Coaches

Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

Meet the Players

Current Squad

These 26 players were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the friendly matches before it.
Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of June 25, 2026, after the match against Ivory Coast.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Eloy Room	(1989-02-06) 6 February 1989 (age 37)	75	0	Miami FC
25	1GK	Tyrick Bodak	(2002-05-15) 15 May 2002 (age 24)	4	0	Telstar
26	1GK	Trevor Doornbusch	(1999-07-06) 6 July 1999 (age 26)	8	0	VVV-Venlo
2	2DF	Shurandy Sambo	(2001-08-19) 19 August 2001 (age 24)	9	0	Sparta Rotterdam
3	2DF	Juriën Gaari	(1993-12-23) 23 December 1993 (age 32)	62	1	Abha
4	2DF	Roshon van Eijma	(1998-06-09) 9 June 1998 (age 28)	29	1	RKC Waalwijk
5	2DF	Sherel Floranus	(1998-08-23) 23 August 1998 (age 27)	31	0	PEC Zwolle
18	2DF	Armando Obispo	(1999-03-05) 5 March 1999 (age 27)	9	0	PSV
20	2DF	Joshua Brenet	(1994-03-20) 20 March 1994 (age 32)	20	2	Kayserispor
23	2DF	Riechedly Bazoer	(1996-10-12) 12 October 1996 (age 29)	6	0	Konyaspor
24	2DF	Deveron Fonville	(2003-05-16) 16 May 2003 (age 23)	5	0	NEC
6	3MF	Godfried Roemeratoe	(1999-08-19) 19 August 1999 (age 26)	29	1	RKC Waalwijk
7	3MF	Juninho Bacuna	(1997-08-07) 7 August 1997 (age 28)	53	14	Volendam
8	3MF	Livano Comenencia	(2004-02-03) 3 February 2004 (age 22)	23	3	Zürich
10	3MF	Leandro Bacuna (captain)	(1991-08-21) 21 August 1991 (age 34)	75	16	Iğdır
13	3MF	Tyrese Noslin	(2002-09-11) 11 September 2002 (age 23)	8	1	Telstar
15	3MF	Ar'jany Martha	(2003-09-04) 4 September 2003 (age 22)	9	2	Rotherham United
22	3MF	Kevin Felida	(1999-11-11) 11 November 1999 (age 26)	19	1	Den Bosch
9	4FW	Jürgen Locadia	(1993-11-07) 7 November 1993 (age 32)	16	1	Miami FC
11	4FW	Jeremy Antonisse	(2002-03-29) 29 March 2002 (age 24)	29	4	Kifisia
12	4FW	Sontje Hansen	(2002-05-18) 18 May 2002 (age 24)	7	1	Middlesbrough
14	4FW	Kenji Gorré	(1994-09-29) 29 September 1994 (age 31)	39	6	Maccabi Haifa
16	4FW	Jearl Margaritha	(2000-04-10) 10 April 2000 (age 26)	24	5	Beveren
17	4FW	Brandley Kuwas	(1992-09-19) 19 September 1992 (age 33)	36	2	Volendam
19	4FW	Gervane Kastaneer	(1996-06-09) 9 June 1996 (age 30)	32	9	Terengganu
21	4FW	Tahith Chong	(1999-12-04) 4 December 1999 (age 26)	9	3	Sheffield United

Player Records

Players in bold are still active with Curaçao.

Most Appearances

Leandro Bacuna and Eloy Room are Curaçao's joint-most capped players with 75 appearances each.

Top Goalscorers

Rangelo Janga is Curaçao's top scorer with 21 goals.

Competitive Records

All competitive matches played from 1921 to 1958 were as the Territory of Curaçao. From 1958 to 2010, matches were played as the Netherlands Antilles. After 2010, all competitive games were played by the current Curaçao team.

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup										Qualification
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
as Territory of Curaçao										as Territory of Curaçao
1930	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1934	Did not enter									Did not enter
1938
1950
1954
1958	Did not qualify									3	1	0	2	4	7
as  Netherlands Antilles										as  Netherlands Antilles
1962	Did not qualify									6	2	2	2	4	14
1966										4	1	2	1	2	3
1970										4	1	0	3	3	9
1974										5	0	2	3	4	19
1978										2	0	0	2	1	9
1982										4	0	3	1	1	2
1986										2	0	1	1	0	4
1990										4	2	0	2	4	7
1994										2	0	1	1	1	4
1998										2	0	1	1	1	2
2002										2	0	1	1	1	6
2006										4	1	0	3	4	8
2010										4	2	1	1	3	1
as  Curaçao										as  Curaçao
2014	Did not qualify									6	2	1	3	15	15
2018										6	1	3	2	5	6
2022										6	3	2	1	16	3
2026	Group stage	TBD	3	0	1	2	1	9		10	7	3	0	28	5
2030	To be determined									To be determined
2034
Total:1/21	Group stage		3	0	1	2	1	9		76	23	23	30	97	124

*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
as  Netherlands Antilles
1963	Third place	3rd	8	5	0	3	14	9	Squad		2	2	0	0	4	1
1965	Fifth place	5th	5	0	2	3	4	16	Squad		Qualified automatically
1967	Did not qualify										4	0	2	2	4	6
1969	Third place	3rd	5	2	1	2	9	12	Squad		Qualified automatically
1971	Did not enter										Did not enter
1973	Sixth place	6th	5	0	2	3	4	19	Squad		Qualified automatically
1977	Did not qualify										2	0	0	2	1	9
1981											4	0	3	1	1	2
1985											2	0	1	1	0	4
1989											4	2	0	2	4	7
1991											2	0	0	2	0	5
1993	Did not enter										Did not enter
1996	Did not qualify										5	3	1	1	11	11
1998											1	0	0	1	1	2
2000											6	2	1	3	8	13
2002	Did not enter										Did not enter
2003	Did not qualify										4	1	1	2	3	6
2005	Withdrew										Withdrew
2007	Did not qualify										3	0	1	2	1	7
2009											5	1	1	3	5	11
as  Curaçao
2011	Did not qualify										3	0	1	2	5	7
2013											3	0	0	3	2	11
2015											9	2	3	4	11	15
2017	Group stage	11th	3	0		3	0	6	Squad		6	5	0	1	18	4
2019	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	1	2	2	3	Squad		4	3	0	1	22	2
2021	Withdrew										4	1	2	1	3	3
2023	Did not qualify										5	1	1	3	3	9
2025	Group stage	10th	3	0	2	1	2	3	Squad		6	4	1	1	15	3
Total	Third place	7/28	33	8	8	17	35	68	—		84	27	19	34	122	138

*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Gold Cup history
First match	Curaçao 0–2 Jamaica  (9 July 2017; San Diego, California, United States)
Biggest Win	Honduras 0–1 Curaçao  (21 June 2019; Houston, Texas, United States)
Biggest Defeat	Curaçao 0–2 Jamaica  (9 July 2017; San Diego, California, United States)  El Salvador 2–0 Curaçao  (13 July 2017; Denver, Colorado, United States)  Curaçao 0–2 Mexico  (17 July 2017; San Antonio, Texas, United States)
Best Result	Quarter-finals (2019)
Worst Result	Group stage (2017, 2025)

CONCACAF Nations League

CONCACAF Nations League record
League record											Finals record
Season	Division	Group	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R		Finals	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2019–20	A	D	4	1	2	1	3	3			2021	Did not qualify
2022–23	A	C	4	1	0	3	2	8			2023
2023–24	A	A	4	1		3	6	7			2024
2024–25	B	B	6	4	1	1	15	3			2025
Total	—	—	18	7	3	8	26	21	—		Total	0 Titles	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

CONCACAF Nations League history
First match	Curaçao 1–0 Haiti  (7 September 2019; Willemstad, Curaçao)
Biggest Win	Saint Martin 0–5 Curaçao  (15 November 2024; Willemstad, Curaçao)
Biggest Defeat	Canada 4–0 Curaçao  (9 June 2022; Vancouver, Canada)
Best Result	—
Worst Result	—

CFU Caribbean Cup

CFU Championship & Caribbean Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
as  Netherlands Antilles										as  Netherlands Antilles
1978	Did not qualify									4	1	1	2	1	5
1979	Did not enter									Did not enter
1981
1983	Did not qualify									Result Unknown
1985	Did not enter									Did not enter
1988
1989	Group stage	2	0	2	0	2	2	-		4	3	0	1	21	4
1990	Did not qualify									2	0	2	0	2	2
1991										2	0	0	2	0	5
1992										3	1	1	1	3	3
1993	Did not enter									Did not enter
1994
1995	Did not qualify									5	3	1	1	11	11
1996										1	0	0	1	0	1
1997										1	0	0	1	1	2
1998	Group stage	3	0	0	3	2	9	-		3	2	1	0	6	4
1999	Did not qualify									2	0	1	1	2	4
2001	Did not enter									Did not enter
2005
2007	Did not qualify									3	0	1	2	1	7
2008										5	1	1	3	5	11
2010										3	0	1	2	5	7
as  Curaçao										as  Curaçao
2014	Group stage	3	0	0	3	5	10	Squad		6	2	3	1	6	5
2017	Champions	2	2	0	0	4	2	Squad		6	4	1	1	21	6
Total	Champions	10	2	2	6	13	23	-		50	17	14	19	85	77

*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Team Records

Biggest Wins

• 10–0 vs  Grenada on 10 September 2018
• 1-0 vs Honduras on 21 June 2019, 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
• 4–1 vs Honduras on 7 April 1963, 1963 CONCACAF Championship
• 2–1 vs Martinique on 22 June 2017, 2017 Caribbean Cup
• 2–1 vs Jamaica on 25 June 2017, 2017 Caribbean Cup
• 9–2 vs Bonaire on 15 July 2012, ABCS Tournament 2012

Notable Draws

• 2–2 vs Suriname on 25 September 2011, Friendly
• 2–2 vs Haiti on 11 October 2011, 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
• 2–2 vs Puerto Rico on 3 September 2014, 2014 Caribbean Cup qualification
• 0–0 vs Ecuador on 20 June 2026, 2026 FIFA World Cup
• 2–2 vs Suriname on 31 October 2010, 2010 ABCS Tournament
• 2–2 vs Aruba on 24 November 2022, 2022 ABCS Tournament
• 2–2 vs Suriname on 26 November 2022, 2022 ABCS Tournament
• 1–1 vs  Jamaica on 25 June 2019, 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
• 1–1 vs  Canada on 22 June 2025, 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Tough Losses

• 7–0 vs Argentina on 28 March 2023, Friendly
• 0–2 vs on 13 July 2017, 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup
• 0–2 vs on 17 July 2017, 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup
• 4–1 vs on 15 November 2014, 2014 Caribbean Cup
• 3–1 vs Bonaire on 2 December 2011, ABCS Tournament 2011
• 3–1 vs Suriname on 16 November 2013, ABCS Tournament 2013
• 2–0 vs Suriname on 4 December 2011, ABCS Tournament 2011

Honours and Achievements

Continental Awards

• CONCACAF Championship
  • Third place (2): 1963², 1969²

Regional Awards

• CCCF Championship³
  • Runners-up (3): 1955¹, 1957¹, 1960²
  • Third place (1): 1941¹
• Caribbean Cup
  • Champions (1): 2017
• Central American and Caribbean Games
  • Bronze medal (1): 1946¹

Friendly Tournament Wins

• ABCS Tournament (2): 2021, 2022
• Four-Nations Tournament (1): 1944¹
• Phillip Seaga Cup (1): 1963²
• Inter Expo Cup / Polar Cup (1): 2004²
• Parbo Bier Cup (1): 2004²
• King's Cup (1): 2019

Summary of Official Honours

These are the official awards recognized by FIFA or its affiliated confederations.

Competition				Total
CONCACAF Championship	0	0	2	2
CCCF Championship3	0	3	1	4
Total	0	3	3	6

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Curazao para niños

• Territory of Curaçao national football team (1921–1958)
• Netherlands Antilles national football team (1958–2010)