AMSTERDAM (DA) — A pastel idea raised early by team captain Leandro Bacuna helped shape Curaçao’s new away kit, Deporte Awe has learned, offering fresh detail on how the World Cup design moved from FIFA requirement to one of the team’s fastest-moving releases yet.
Adidas senior director of brand activation Frank Basters said FIFA’s rules required two clearly distinguishable uniforms for the 2026 World Cup, and because Curaçao’s home kit is blue — classified as a dark strip — the team needed a light-colored alternative from shirt to shorts to socks.
But the project quickly became about more than contrast.
In discussions with a federation delegation led by president Gilbert Martina, the brief expanded into a light kit that met FIFA rules, reflected Curaçao’s history and culture, felt right for the players and stirred national pride, while also helping the country stand out internationally and reach new fans, Basters said.
That is where Bacuna helped steer the concept in a defining direction.
He said Bacuna suggested a pastel base in the early conversations, with a preference for a light yellow tone. That early idea helped move the design away from the more conventional white alternate kits often seen on the World Cup stage.
From there, the design team leaned into one of Curaçao’s most recognizable images: the Handelskade in Willemstad, known for its signature colors. The concept was later presented to the federation delegation, as well as then-coach Dick Advocaat and team and equipment management, before being approved.
The result was a light away kit designed not only to meet FIFA requirements, but also to give Curaçao a more distinctive visual identity on the international stage.
The timeline made the process especially demanding.
A standard development and production cycle usually takes 24 months. After Curaçao qualified, however, that window was cut to just five months after the company’s CEO issued an internal push to do everything possible to deliver the best outcome for Curaçao ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
That compressed schedule brought challenges across every stage of development and production, requiring an accelerated push from concept to rollout.
Basters said the primary group included a handful of colleagues handling federation and retail partner Voetbalshop.nl contacts, along with the design and realization of the kit. Behind them, dozens more were involved in securing production capacity, sourcing materials, planning logistics, determining quantities and creating content with players.
He also praised the Curaçao Football Federation (FFK) and Martina as accessible, open to advice and suggestions, clear about their wishes and decisive in moving the project forward.
The market response has moved just as quickly.
Martina said Curaçao’s away kit had already generated 285,000 euros in pre-sales, a figure also confirmed by official retailer Voetbalshop.nl. That total was reached in just four days.
The away kit, though, is only part of the story.
The home kit is still in the pipeline, Basters said, and the broader rollout remains unfinished, with shirts and related products still needing to reach both the squad and supporters. But the away shirt has already established itself as a standout part of Curaçao’s World Cup build-up — a design shaped by FIFA rules, Bacuna’s early color idea and a five-month sprint set in motion at the highest level of the company.