WILLEMSTAD – What started as a local social football initiative on Curaçao is rapidly gaining international attention as media outlets from Mexico follow the Fundashon Bicentini youth World Cup project ahead of its knock-out stage.
The project was created by former Curaçao national team coach Remko Bicentini, who says the growing international media interest reflects the unique social mission behind the tournament.
The Fundashon Bicentini WK 2026 for children was inspired by Curaçao’s historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and mirrors the structure of the actual tournament with 48 participating teams.
But according to Bicentini, the initiative is fundamentally about social development rather than only football.
The tournament involves children from schools, neighborhoods, and vulnerable communities across the island and combines sports with themes such as inclusion, education, participation, and self-confidence.
Bicentini told media that foreign journalists are especially interested in the combination of his football background and the social impact of the youth project.
The former coach previously led Curaçao to major international successes, including the 2017 Caribbean Cup title and multiple CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifications.
International attention around the youth tournament has steadily expanded in recent months. German television crews, French journalists, and now Mexican media have all visited Curaçao to cover the initiative and its preparations.
The knock-out stage begins on May 17 at Stadion Antoine Maduro in Saliña, while the final is scheduled for June 7 — just days before the real FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America.
According to Bicentini, the children themselves are at the center of the project.
“You see the children growing every week. They know what they are doing it for,” he previously said in interviews about the tournament.