“This is really the power of football. Especially for a small country, it can bring a whole unity to the whole country.” Ludwig Alberto shakes his head in wonder as he describes the journey Curaçaoan football has been on. The former Curaçao Under-20 national team coach is Head of Delegation for the Caribbean nation at the FIFA World Cup 2026™. In the past eight months, he has seen the “whole nation” take to the streets to enjoy the team’s qualifying success and the country enjoy a truly global spotlight for the first time.

With a population of just over 150,000, Curaçao is, by some margin, the smallest nation by population to feature at the FIFA World Cup™, eclipsing Iceland’s achievement in 2018. It is also the smallest country by area to have played at the tournament.

The Blue Wave commence their historic campaign on Sunday, June 14 in Houston against traditional World Cup heavyweights Germany, before further Group E meetings with Ecuador and Côte d'Ivoire.

By many definitions, competing in football’s global showpiece is the most significant moment in the nation’s history. Certainly, it has been tipping point for Curaçaoan football.

Their success, though, hasn’t occurred in isolation. FIFA has invested over USD 16 million in development projects in partnership with the Curaçao Football Federation (FFK) across a variety of projects, most of which have directly or indirectly benefitted the national team.

Like all 211 FIFA Member Associations (MAs), the FFK have access to funding through FIFA Forward and similar development programmes. Funding has helped the FFK develop their Technical Centre, featuring a high-quality pitch, floodlights, seating, and hospitality areas. The facility has allowed players to train at an improved facility and prepare for international matches.

The FFK have also been able to use funding for national team support dedicated to training camps and international competition participation. The latter is significant with challenging travel routes in the region combined with European-based players in the squad. Further down the pyramid, there has also been significant funding support for development projects and enhancement of the domestic league.

Curaçao are one of four debutants at what is the most inclusive and biggest FIFA World Cup ever. The Blue Wave overcame two former FIFA World Cup™ finalists – Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – to reach football’s zenith capped by a highly dramatic finale in Kingston against the Reggae Boyz, when they held on for a goalless draw to guarantee their place.

Alberto says it felt like the whole country were on the streets as the team arrived back from Jamaica in a moment that changed forever how the locals view football. “Right now, if you see football in Curaçao, everybody wants to get a ball,” Alberto said. “The children are playing on the street and you can see there is a shift.”

Alberto also noted the international interest in Curaçao, saying the island was no longer mostly well-known as the name of a colourful cocktail additive. “Let me be honest, a couple of years ago, nobody had heard of Curaçao. It's not like that anymore. Everybody is talking about Curaçao,” he said.

“Right now, we're selling shirts in Curaçao. Everybody, locally and internationally, wants to get a shirt. In the beginning of qualification, it was not like that,” he said. “Everybody wants to get a ball in Curaçao. The children are playing on the street. You can see there is a shift.”