When Curacao took the pitch against Germany on June 14, the smallest nation ever to appear at a World Cup wasn’t just making history with its presence. It was making history with its medical staff.
The match featured the first all-female medical team in World Cup history, a five-doctor squad led by Dr. Suzanne Huurman, Curacao’s head of medical staff. She’s the only female team doctor at the entire 2026 tournament.
Five doctors, zero precedent
The medical team consisted of Dr. Suzanne Huurman, Dr. Emma Lunan, Dr. Silja Schwarz, Dr. Carrie Bakunas, and Dr. Kerry Peek. Together, they represented something that had never happened across nearly a century of World Cup football.
Huurman’s credentials make her presence less surprising and the lack of precedent more glaring. She’s worked with elite European clubs including Real Madrid and PSV before joining Curacao’s national setup.
