Leandro Bacuna always believed in Curaçao.
He could have easily been dissuaded after a 1-0 loss to Barbados in his March 2016 debut, or three defeats in their first Concacaf Gold Cup in 2017. But he and the early pioneers of the Blue Wave, which would later include brother Juninho Bacuna, had faith that one day they would reach football’s elite.
It will be handsomely rewarded in the FIFA World Cup 2026™, as the smallest nation to qualify introduce themselves to the world in Group E against Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador and Germany. The 34-year-old midfielder and captain spoke to FIFA about what people can expect from the Caribbean side at this year’s global finals.
Leandro Bacuna: It’s a very nice story. It’s a small island [that believes] in big achievements. [We believe] that we can build on something. When I came about ten years ago, we started building on reaching the World Cup. It was a dream, and the dream actually came true.
I came to the national team first, before him. He was still waiting, playing for the U-21s in Holland. He waiting for his chance for the Dutch national team. But then we played [Gold] Cup in America, and I called him and said: “I need some help.” And he said: “OK, next time, when I can, I will come and join you.” For me, it’s a very nice thing to play with your brother. I think you don’t really get a lot of opportunities to do that, and to represent your own country, and to play together.
Yeah, it’s crazy. My mum and dad both played football. Everything was football. Waking up (on) weekends and everything, going to games, trying to practice. They were always there for us, and they were supporting us to achieve our goals.
I think it’s the togetherness. I think when you come to the squad, everyone [feels] that they are welcomed, it’s a family thing. We are all together. I think that’s a very important thing. If you don’t feel it in your heart, I think you can’t be part of the group.
He brought a lot to us. We like to party, we like to have fun, and he basically said: “Don’t lose that, but make sure you play for the result.” And I think that that’s a very important message that he gave to us. At the end of the games we were still trying to win a game, and that maybe one point instead could help you in the future, and he brought that to us. He gave us so much confidence that we could actually believe in it, and we had the belief. We just needed that final touch.
Very calm. I think I had a very good bond with him and I still speak to him. It’s a sad story, but as everyone knows, family comes before everything. And I think behind the scenes, he will probably still be helping our case, and he will give us advice. We’ve got a great manager now as well [Fred Rutten], so not to forget that.
I think God was with us that night, because you’ve seen the game, everyone’s seen the game. Couple of balls on the post… Everywhere. But our keeper was great, so I think it was meant for us. It was a story written for us.
Coming together. In life, you have people that don’t believe in you. In Curaçao, they actually believed in it. We had a new president come in, and his first thing he said was, “We’re going to reach the World Cup.” He didn’t make it come true – at the end of the day, it’s the players that are playing – but it’s people believing in you, and I think the day we qualified, we came together, and I saw all of the people together – enemies, everything – coming together as friends, hugging each other.
It’s very tough to tell you, but I am dreaming about it. I am thinking about it. There’s going to be a lot of things going through my mind. What can I say to my players? What can I do? Of course, you see images going through your head and everything, but at that moment, someone from somewhere, or anywhere, will tell you what to do. And I believe strongly in that.
Tough question. I think yeah, of course. We are there for the first time, but I have to say that we are not afraid of anyone. We are going to go there, we are going to do our thing, and we’re going to play our game and just enjoy the moment. But with enjoyment, you have to represent your country as well. We don’t want to go there and get (beaten) 7-0, 4-0, 5-0, lose every single game. We want to go and show what we can actually do and why we achieved our goal.
That it’s a team. It’s not about individuals: it’s about everyone together. Not only the players, the people around as well: the staff members. We’ve got a big staff, but everyone has a job and everyone is helping in their way. So, it’s about togetherness, it’s about showing people what a small nation can actually do.
There’s always people doubting you, what you actually can do, and for me, when we reached the World Cup, it was a moment of relief. I am 34 years old, and I’m almost at the end of my career, and it’s like a cherry on the cake for me. It’s something (where) I can finish my career off with a high standard. And, so, I’m really excited to go to the World Cup. I’ve been preparing myself mentally, physically. I want to show what I’ve got as a player and why people didn’t have to doubt me.
