Curacao vs Aruba - prediction, team news, lineups

Curacao volition circular disconnected their preparations for the 2026 World Cup erstwhile they invited Caribbean neighbours Aruba to Stadion Ergilio Hato for an planetary affable connected Saturday. 

The 2 sides past met successful June 2024 during the World Cup qualifying campaign, erstwhile Curacao recorded a comfy 2-0 triumph distant from home. 

Match preview

The smallest federation by colonisation to suffice for a World Cup created past erstwhile Curacao booked their spot astatine the 2026 tournament, a landmark accomplishment that volition everlastingly inhabit a peculiar spot successful the country's sporting folklore.

Curacao volition get arsenic 1 of the tournament's eventual underdogs, and the footballing gods person hardly offered them an casual way aft placing them alongside Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast successful a daunting Group E.

Led by the oldest manager successful World Cup history, the evergreen Dick Advocaat, 78, Curacao person each crushed to imagination aft navigating qualification unbeaten and earning their spot astatine football's grandest table.

The Blue Wave, ranked 82nd successful the world, were flawless during the 2nd signifier of CONCACAF qualifying, winning each 4 matches against Barbados, Saint Lucia, Aruba and Haiti to punch their summons to Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Recent results person been little encouraging, with 3 successive defeats threatening to dampen the mood, but this affable offers the cleanable accidental to rediscover assurance and momentum earlier the World Cup. 

Aruba, meanwhile, get present with precise antithetic objectives, seeking not lone to reconstruct immoderate pridefulness but besides to proceed their gradual emergence connected the planetary stage.

Ranked 189th successful the world, Aruba stay immoderate region from competing with the region's stronger nations, but matches against World Cup-bound opponents supply invaluable acquisition for a processing side.

Pre-World Cup friendlies are often much astir bushed than results, and Aruba volition relish the accidental to trial themselves against a squad preparing for football's biggest signifier portion ensuring Advocaat's men are fixed nary casual ride.

What volition promote caput manager Marvic Bermudez is that Aruba person softly built a respectable tally of signifier against nations of a akin standing, suggesting that advancement is being made down the scenes.

They caput into this contention unbeaten successful 4 matches crossed each competitions, having won their past 3 connected the bounce against Liechtenstein, Macau and Barbados, results that should supply content up of different hard assignment.

Curacao International Friendlies form:

L L L L L L 

Curacao signifier (all competitions):

D W D L L L 

Aruba International Friendlies form:

D W W D W 

Aruba signifier (all competitions):

D L D W W W

Team News

Curacao, the tiny Caribbean island, location to conscionable implicit 150,000 people, has assembled a remarkably competitory squad for a federation of its size, with overmuch of the spotlight expected to autumn connected brothers Juninho and Leandro Bacuna.

Juninho has been 1 of Curacao's standout performers for respective years and, with his immense planetary acquisition and enactment qualities, perfectly embodies the resilience and ambition that person carried the Blue Wave to their historical World Cup qualification.

Miami FC guardant Jurgen Locadia was sent disconnected successful the caller 4-1 decision to Scotland, but speech from that setback, Advocaat has nary large wounded oregon suspension concerns heading into the contest.

Bermudez is expected to instrumentality with his adventurous 3-4-3 system, with Gello Robertha emerging arsenic 1 of Aruba's brightest attacking prospects alongside Carlito Fermina and Gianni Vandepitte successful the last third.

Centre-back Kymani Nedd picked up an wounded during the 4-1 triumph implicit Liechtenstein and could beryllium rested arsenic a precaution, which would apt unfastened the doorway for Nickenson Paul to travel into the starting lineup.

Curacao imaginable starting lineup:

Room; Fonville, Gaari, Bazoer, Obispo, Floranus; Bacuna, Comenencia; Bacuna, Chong, Hansen 

Aruba imaginable starting lineup:

Lentink; Martis, Paul, Romano; Bennett, Marselia, Poulina, Curiel; Robertha, Fermina, Vandepitte 

We say: Curacao 2-0 Aruba

Curacao whitethorn person mislaid their past 3 matches, but the gulf successful prime betwixt the 2 squads remains significant, with Dick Advocaat's broadside boasting greater experience, extent and idiosyncratic endowment crossed the pitch. 

Aruba person shown encouraging signs successful caller months, yet the World Cup-bound hosts should person capable firepower and information to instrumentality to winning ways with a comfy victory.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.