During FIFA World Cup 2026
WILLEMSTAD – July 3, 2026 – On June 24th, one day before Curaçao’s third match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) organized the “Blue Wave Takeover” event in Philadelphia to introduce Curaçao to the Philadelphia market, a new market in close proximity to Curaçao’s key USA source markets of New York and Newark. The event brought together traditional media representatives and content creators from Philadelphia. In addition, CTB Managing Director, Mr. Muryad de Bruin, participated in several television interviews in Philadelphia.
The “Blue Wave Takeover” was organized in collaboration with Diamond PR and took place at Ballers, a premium social sports club featuring an indoor soccer field. Media representatives had the opportunity to experience some local food, drinks, entertainment, and the chance to win exciting prizes, including tickets to Curaçao’s match on June 25th and a trip for two to Curaçao.
During the morning of June 24th, Mr. de Bruin appeared on several Philadelphia morning shows. The coverage aired just ahead of Curaçao’s match against Côte d’Ivoire on FOX29 Philadelphia, CW17 Philadelphia, and 6ABC Philadelphia, helping to continue the excitement around Curaçao’s first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance. In total, the segments reached an impressive audience of more than 3 million viewers.
The segments not only highlighted the remarkable story of the Blue Wave’s qualification for this year’s tournament but also the pride and culture that Curaçao has brought to the host cities. The coverage was centered around interviews with Mr. de Bruin, discussing what this historic Word Cup appearance means for the people of Curaçao and the lasting impact it is expected to have on the future of sports and tourism on the island. In addition, FOX29 Philadelphia shared the segment on its Instagram account in collaboration with Fox5NY and FWC26Philly, reaching an additional social media audience of more than 709,000 people.
