WILLEMSTAD – Fundashon Bicentini is launching a large-scale football competition for children across Curaçao, modeled after the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup. A total of 41 teams consisting of children between the ages of nine and 13 will participate, with the first matches scheduled for November.
The initiative is aimed at students in grades six, seven and eight of primary school, as well as children from neighborhoods throughout Curaçao. Each participating team will represent one of the 41 countries in the Concacaf region.
A televised draw in Curaçao will determine which country each team will represent, giving the young players their own version of an international football competition.
The tournament will follow the structure of Concacaf’s major competitions. The children's Nations League will consist of 114 matches played during November and December 2026 and March 2027.
The competition will then culminate in a children's Gold Cup in June, when another 43 matches are scheduled to be played.
Fundashon Bicentini founder and former Curaçao national team coach Remko Bicentini said the project is intended to accomplish much more than simply organizing football matches.
The foundation plans to use football as a platform to engage children on issues including health, inclusion, participation and social connection.
Social and community projects will also be linked to each of the countries represented in the competition. Through these activities, the foundation hopes children will learn about other countries and cultures while developing values such as cooperation and mutual respect.
“For me, football is not the goal, but a means,” Bicentini said.
According to the former national team coach, the tournament should give children opportunities, strengthen their self-confidence and allow them to experience what it feels like to dream on a bigger stage.
For the Gold Cup in June, Fundashon Bicentini plans to transform a stadium in Curaçao specifically for the children's tournament.
The foundation emphasizes that the competition should be viewed not only as a sporting event, but as a broader social project designed to provide children with opportunities and perspective.
“If a child learns here that he or she matters, then we have won, regardless of the result,” Bicentini said.