2026 World Cup Debutants: How Curaçao Built a World Cup Team in the Netherlands ft. Karym Leito & Margo Groenewoud

About this episode

The episode discusses how Curaçao built a national team for its first FIFA World Cup appearance, exploring its political and social context.

As Curaçao prepares for its first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance, the latest episode of the FootPol podcast goes far beyond football. Host Guy Burton is joined by historians and researchers Karym Leito and Margo Groenewoud to unpack how a small Caribbean island with deep colonial ties to the Netherlands built a national team capable of reaching football’s biggest stage. The conversation explores Curaçao’s layered political status, stark social inequalities behind the tourist façade, and the d...

People in this episode

Host: Guy Burton

Guests: Karym Leito, Margo Groenewoud

Topics covered

• Curaçao
• FIFA World Cup
• soccer
• colonial ties
• political status
• social inequalities

Keywords

• Curaçao
• FIFA World Cup
• soccer team
• colonial history
• politics
• social issues
• Caribbean

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Curaçao, Netherlands

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