Juninho Bacuna and brother Leandro embody Curaçao’s bridge from Groningen to a historic World Cup | OneFootball

Leandro and Juninho Bacuna, raised in Groningen, now personify the bond between Curaçao and its Dutch diaspora after a landmark World Cup qualification.

According to L'Équipe, Curaçao, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 2010 and home to 150,000 people, became the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup in November 2025. Leandro is captain and Juninho the creator, roles that extend to leading songs and dances shared widely on social media.

A 0-0 draw in Jamaica on 19 November 2025 sealed passage, then a parade toured the island. Leandro said he had never seen so many people in the streets, united across African, Sephardic Jewish, Arawak, Dutch and Venezuelan roots.

The brothers were born 8000 kilometres away in Groningen, a youthful university city. On the Vismarkt, English is heard as often as Dutch.

At home they mostly spoke Papiamento, taught by their parents Lucille and John, a language born among enslaved people on Curaçao.

In Groningen they are sporting personalities, with a main sports shop selling out several hundred Curaçao shirts within 48 hours. On the island they are superstars and proudly trace their origins to Boka Sami, a historic fishing village.

Source: L'Équipe