Short answers, pulled from the story.
Curaçao qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in November 2025 by topping their qualifying group. A 0-0 draw against Jamaica secured their place, making them the smallest nation by both population and area to qualify for the tournament.
Curaçao is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, not a sovereign state. It gained this constitutional status on the 10th of October 2010, when the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved.
FIFA and CONCACAF recognise Curaçao as the direct successor of the Netherlands Antilles national team, which competed from 1958 to 2010. Curaçao inherited the Netherlands Antilles' FIFA membership, historical records, and FIFA ranking when it appeared on the FIFA member list in March 2011.
Rangelo Janga is the all-time top scorer for Curaçao with 21 goals in 42 appearances, a career running from 2016. Leandro Bacuna is second with 16 goals from 71 caps.
Dick Advocaat is the head coach heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He initially resigned in February 2026 for personal reasons but returned on the 11th of May 2026, following disagreements between players and his temporary replacement Fred Rutten.
Curaçao won the Caribbean Cup in 2017, defeating Jamaica 2-1 in the final. That victory came after they beat host nation Martinique 2-1 in the semi-finals, and it earned them their first-ever CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification.