Curaçao Confirms Boca Raton as FIFA World Cup Base Camp Destination

Curaçao will prepare for its first FIFA World Cup campaign this summer at a base camp in Boca Raton, Florida.

It was announced that the “Blue Wave” (La Familia Azul) will use Florida Atlantic University (FAU) as its principal training facility, while the team and staff will stay at the Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center between training sessions and matches.

In November, Curaçao became the smallest nation by population (approximately 160,000 people) to qualify for a Men’s FIFA World Cup by drawing 0-0 with Jamaica, surpassing Iceland, which had a population of approximately 350,000 when it took part in the 2018 World Cup.

According to the Curaçao Football Federation (FFK), Boca Raton was its first choice ahead of Atlanta and Dallas due to the climate, world-class facilities and local culture in the area.

“Boca Raton provides the perfect environment for our players to focus,” said Manager Dick Advocaat. “The facilities at FAU are top-tier, and the climate closely mirrors what we expect during our opening matches, plus, the Caribbean connection in South Florida makes our boys feel right at home.

The team from the Dutch Caribbean island already knows all of its opponents in Group E. Curaçao will make its World Cup debut in Houston on June 14 against four-time champions Germany, before facing Ecuador on June 20 in Kansas City and finishing against Côte d’Ivoire on June 25 in Philadelphia.

FIFA World Cup Preparations

Curaçao joins the likes of Germany (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), France (Boston, Massachusetts), Spain (Chattanooga, Tennessee), Croatia (Alexandra, Virginia), South Korea (Guadalajara, Mexico), Colombia (also Guadalajara), Uruguay (Playa del Carmen, Mexico) and Saudi Arabia (Austin, Texas) in formally confirming their World Cup base camps for this summer. More announcements are expected soon.

Read the full list of confirmed base camps so far here.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has been expanded to 48 teams, will begin with Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City, with the final being held on July 19 in New York New Jersey.