Curacao's "BlueWave" looks to fulfil dream of qualifying for the World Cup

GREAT BAY--Caribisch Netwerk reports that Curaçao’s national team has ignited a grassroots movement known as the BlueWave, a fan culture that now fills Ergilio Hato Stadium in Brievengat with drums, flags, and a sea of blue. In Kim Hendriksen’s October 20 story, supporter Brenton Balentien explains why he paints his face blue on match days. “Blue is not just the color of the national football team and of the BlueWave movement,” he says. “It is also the color of our sea, of our pride. As a child, parents smear a blue powder on your skin to protect you from evil. I take that feeling with me when I enter the stadium. We protect our team. We are already saying among ourselves: if we win, Curaçao will not go to the World Cup, Papiamentu will go to the World Cup.”

Sports commentator Carl Ruiter, who has covered Curaçao since the Netherlands Antilles era, tells Caribisch Netwerk that momentum took shape after 2010, when Curaçao became its own country within the Kingdom. He credits improved organization, better players, and rising ambition. He highlights a shift under coach Remko Bicentini, who built trust and belief. With Dick Advocaat, he says the team moved to a higher standard through discipline and professionalism, attracting players who might not have come before. Balentien agrees. “Dick Advocaat is not a man of words, but of deeds,” he says. “He sees potential in these guys. He doesn’t do it for the money, he does it out of passion. And we feel that as fans.”

Results have fed the mood. On October 10, Curaçao beat Jamaica 2–0 in a sold-out stadium. A draw with Trinidad and Tobago followed in another full house. The team visits Bermuda on November 14, then travels to Jamaica on November 18. After the draw, Curaçao sits second in its qualifying group, one point behind Jamaica. The dream of a first World Cup appearance remains strong. Balentien says the phone calls now come from Aruba, Bonaire, and the Netherlands, and he repeats a line he hears often. “Nos ta un isla chikí ku un soño grandi.” The group winner qualifies directly, while the second-place team can still reach the 2026 World Cup through additional qualifying. If Curaçao makes it, Balentien expects an island-wide celebration. “Then we celebrate for a month. This island will explode with pride. We are already saying among ourselves: if we win, Curaçao will not go to the World Cup, Papiamentu will go to the World Cup.”

Balentien is widely seen as Curaçao’s most recognizable fan. He has been in the stands for eight years, every game. He says the BlueWave started as a small group of musicians and friends, then grew into a movement that now sells out the stadium days in advance. The name emerged when the old fan club, De 12de Man, looked to renew its identity. “We wanted something that sounded better internationally, something that conveys our pride,” he says. “BlueWave is a perfect fit. It’s a wave that sweeps everyone along, from the players to the fans.” He links that wave to a football pipeline as well, from youth teams up to the senior squad.

The BlueWave is at the intersection of culture, identity, and sport. What began with a few drums grew into full houses, a youth-to-senior pathway, and a team that a veteran coach has made more professional. The message from the stands is simple. “We are one island, one dream.”

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘩 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘬, “𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘢ç𝘢𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘞𝘢𝘷𝘦: ‘𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮’,” 𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘪𝘮 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘴𝘦𝘯, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘖𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘳 20, 2025.

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