Juninho Bacuna and brother Leandro at heart of Curaçao’s World Cup breakthrough | OneFootball

The Bacuna brothers are central to Curaçao’s breakthrough, uniting the island and its Dutch diaspora. Raised in Groningen, captain Leandro and creator Juninho now lead a team making history.

According to L'Équipe, Curaçao, population 150,000, became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010. In November 2025 it became the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup.

A 0-0 draw in Jamaica on 19 November 2025 sealed qualification, then the brothers headed the homecoming parade around the island. Leandro said he had never seen so many people in the streets, united across communities.

He added that, on an island where baseball is number one, football had shown its power to connect people. The brothers also lift the mood with songs and dances widely shared on social media.

Preparations stepped up with a pre-World Cup camp in Noordwijk on 28 May 2026, where Leandro and Juninho trained with the national squad. Their influence stretches beyond the pitch, energising the team and its support.

Source: L'Équipe