Roshon van Eijma: Curaçao Defender Career Profile 2026

Roshon van Eijma is a Curaçao international centre-back born in Tilburg on 9 June 1998. He came through the Willem II academy, entered senior football with Roda JC, spent time in Germany with Preußen Münster, returned to the Netherlands with TOP Oss and then played in the Eredivisie for RKC Waalwijk. His international career reached a new level when he helped Curaçao qualify for the country’s first FIFA World Cup and was selected in Dick Advocaat’s 2026 squad.

This profile separates confirmed information from outdated database labels. FIFA’s official squad list identified RKC Waalwijk as van Eijma’s club during the June 2026 World Cup. By the time this page was reviewed on 27 July 2026, no later club announcement had been confirmed from an official team source. RKC is therefore described here as his most recently verified club, not as an unqualified current employer.

Roshon van Eijma represented Curaçao at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Roshon van Eijma profile at a glance

Van Eijma’s full name is Roshon Felix Romar Jordan van Eijma. FIFA records his date of birth as 9 June 1998 and his height as 186 centimetres. He is primarily a central defender and represents Curaçao at senior international level. Those details matter because several syndicated profile pages have copied inconsistent birth dates or treated an old club entry as permanent. The official FIFA tournament squad list and the Eredivisie’s player record provide the strongest available checks for his basic profile.

Full name: Roshon Felix Romar Jordan van Eijma
Date of birth: 9 June 1998
Birthplace: Tilburg, Netherlands
Height: 186 cm
Position: Centre-back
National team: Curaçao
Most recently verified club: RKC Waalwijk, as listed by FIFA in June 2026

What is Roshon van Eijma’s latest verified club status?

Why RKC Waalwijk needs a date label

FIFA’s official 2026 World Cup squad document lists van Eijma with RKC Waalwijk. That is reliable evidence of his club affiliation at the start of the tournament, but it does not establish an open-ended contract after the season. Reports around the end of the Dutch campaign said his RKC spell was concluding, and no official announcement of a new club had been located when this profile was checked on 27 July 2026. The accurate wording is therefore that RKC was his most recently verified club at the World Cup.

This distinction prevents a common player-profile error. Club status changes quickly during the summer transfer window, while search results and sports databases can lag behind. FWCTimes will update this section if van Eijma or a new club publishes a confirmed signing. Until then, a precise dated status is more useful than pretending uncertainty does not exist.

How did his football education begin?

Development in the Willem II academy

Van Eijma grew up in Tilburg and developed inside Willem II’s youth structure. The academy environment gave him a technical and tactical base before senior football. A club interview published by TOP Oss later described his return to Tilburg as feeling like a home match because he had learned so much there. That connection helps explain the geographic shape of his early career: his first Dutch clubs were all within a football region he knew well.

Academy success does not guarantee an immediate first-team route. For a centre-back, senior football brings faster decisions, stronger forwards and greater consequences for positioning errors. Van Eijma’s move away from Willem II was therefore not simply a change of badge. It was the step that turned youth training into a professional test.

Roda JC and the start of his senior career

From prospect to professional minutes

Van Eijma joined Roda JC in 2016. TOP Oss’s official signing announcement later stated that he made his professional debut during the 2018/19 season and accumulated 36 official appearances for Roda. That total is more informative than a generic claim that he “played professionally” because it shows sustained first-team involvement rather than a single debut.

Roda gave him experience in Dutch senior competition while he was still learning the details of centre-back play. Defenders at that stage must balance aggression with restraint, recognize when to follow a striker and know when to protect the space behind the line. Regular competitive minutes are where those decisions become habits. His Roda spell established the foundation for the moves that followed.

What did the move to Preußen Münster add?

A short German chapter

After Roda, van Eijma joined Preußen Münster. TOP Oss recorded that he made 11 appearances in Germany’s Regionalliga West before returning to the Netherlands. The spell was not the longest period of his career, but it exposed him to a different league environment and a new weekly rhythm. For a young defender, adapting to another country’s football culture can be valuable even when the stay is brief.

The main lesson is not that Germany completely changed his playing identity. It is that he had to compete outside the system in which he was raised. That kind of move tests communication, physical adjustment and the ability to absorb new coaching instructions quickly. His next transfer brought him back to familiar ground with more senior experience than when he left.

Why TOP Oss became an important stage

Returning to the Dutch professional game

TOP Oss announced van Eijma’s arrival from Preußen Münster and identified him as a 1.86-metre central defender. The move restored a regular Dutch platform and placed him in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, where game volume can accelerate a defender’s development. This was the phase in which he moved from being an early-career professional to a player trusted with repeated senior responsibility.

At TOP Oss he could apply the experience collected at Roda and Münster while continuing to improve his reading of direct attacks. The division often demands quick reactions to second balls, transitions and crowded penalty areas. Those repetitions are particularly useful for a centre-back who later has to defend international matches where his team may spend long periods without the ball.

How did van Eijma reach the Eredivisie?

The step from TOP Oss to RKC Waalwijk

Van Eijma’s work at TOP Oss led to an opportunity with RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie. Moving into the Dutch top flight raised the standard of opposing forwards, the speed of circulation and the punishment for poor spacing. It was also a chance to show that experience gained in the second tier could transfer to a more demanding competition.

The move was significant because centre-backs often mature through accumulated matches rather than one spectacular season. Van Eijma had already experienced academy football, the Eerste Divisie and Germany before reaching the Eredivisie. That varied route gave him a broader reference point than a straight promotion from one academy team.

What do his official Eredivisie numbers show?

2024/25 defensive and passing output

The Eredivisie’s official player page records 24 appearances, 22 starts and 1,822 minutes for van Eijma in the 2024/25 league season. It also lists 36 interceptions, 18 tackles and 81 duels won. Those figures show a defender who was regularly involved rather than used only as emergency cover. They do not prove quality on their own, but they provide a concrete base for evaluating his role.

In possession, the same official record lists 914 passes, with 786 completed for an 86 percent completion rate. A completion percentage must be read in context because safe passes and progressive passes carry different difficulty. Even so, the volume indicates that he was part of RKC’s circulation and not limited to clearing the ball whenever possession reached him.

How should those statistics be interpreted?

Context matters more than one headline number

Centre-back statistics depend heavily on team style. A side defending deep may give its central defenders more clearances and aerial duels. A team holding a high line can create more recovery runs and open-field defending. Possession share also changes passing volume. For that reason, van Eijma’s interceptions, duels and pass completion should be considered together with match footage and tactical context.

The useful conclusion from his 2024/25 record is modest but meaningful: he handled a substantial Eredivisie workload, competed often in defensive actions and took part in build-up possession. The numbers should not be converted into an invented ranking among defenders. They describe what he did, not a universal score of how good he is.

What is his main position?

A centre-back first

Official club and tournament records classify van Eijma as a defender, with centre-back as his primary role. At 186 cm, he has the frame to contest central duels without relying only on height. His job in the middle of the line includes protecting the penalty area, tracking runners, challenging for crosses and keeping the unit connected when possession changes.

Position labels can be oversimplified. A central defender’s task changes according to the partner beside him, the full-backs’ starting positions and whether the team uses two or three centre-backs. Van Eijma’s profile is best understood through the recurring responsibilities he has performed rather than by claiming he can cover every defensive role equally well.

Roshon van Eijma’s defensive strengths

Duels, positioning and penalty-area work

Van Eijma’s senior experience suggests a defender comfortable with repeated physical contests and direct attacking pressure. The Eredivisie record of 81 duels won in 2024/25 supports that description. His value in a deeper block comes from staying connected to the other centre-back, attacking balls that enter his zone and recovering position after the first challenge.

Good box defending is not only about making a final tackle. It includes scanning before a cross, identifying the most dangerous runner and keeping the body open enough to see both ball and opponent. These are areas where experience across several leagues can help. The assessment remains a tactical reading of his role, not a claim that every defensive action succeeds.

How does he contribute in possession?

Building from the back without forcing the play

His official 2024/25 passing volume shows that he was trusted to participate in RKC’s first phase of possession. A centre-back in that phase must choose between a short pass into midfield, a switch across the line and a longer ball beyond pressure. The correct option often depends on what the opponent removes rather than on a predetermined instruction to play short.

Van Eijma’s 86 percent completion rate indicates reliable circulation over a full league workload. It should not be confused with proof that every pass was progressive. The more useful observation is that he could receive and move the ball often enough to remain part of the team’s build-up structure while still carrying his primary defensive responsibilities.

When did van Eijma debut for Curaçao?

The March 2021 starting point

TOP Oss’s official announcement states that van Eijma made his senior Curaçao debut on 25 March 2021. The match was a 5-0 World Cup qualifying win against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. That debut connected his club development in Europe to an international team drawing heavily on players from the Dutch football system.

International football brings a different challenge from club football. Training time is shorter, partnerships change between windows and opponents can vary sharply in style. A central defender must absorb the match plan quickly and communicate with teammates who do not work together every week. Van Eijma remained part of the national-team picture long enough to contribute to Curaçao’s historic qualification cycle.

How did he contribute to World Cup qualification?

A first international goal in Bermuda

FIFA’s qualifying report records van Eijma as the scorer of Curaçao’s final goal in a 7-0 win away to Bermuda. He struck in added time, and FIFA described it as his first international goal. The moment was unusual for a centre-back but meaningful within a qualification campaign that eventually carried Curaçao to the World Cup.

One goal does not define a defender’s international value. His more frequent contribution came through maintaining the line, contesting the penalty area and helping the team manage different match states. Still, the Bermuda goal provides a verified milestone and shows that he could add a set-piece or late-box threat when the situation allowed it.

Curaçao’s historic 2026 World Cup qualification

Why the achievement changed the team’s profile

Curaçao’s place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was the country’s first appearance at the tournament. Qualification placed a small Caribbean nation on football’s largest stage and gave its Dutch-developed players a chance to represent their heritage in front of a global audience. Van Eijma was part of the defensive group selected by coach Dick Advocaat for that challenge.

The achievement also changed how individual careers should be evaluated. Club minutes remained important, but international experience now included preparing for elite tournament opponents and managing the emotional weight of a national first. For supporters following the wider squad, FWCTimes maintains a dedicated Curaçao team page and a report on the Curaçao 2026 World Cup squad.

Was van Eijma selected for the 2026 World Cup?

His place in Dick Advocaat’s squad

Yes. FIFA’s official squad announcement included van Eijma among Curaçao’s defenders, and the tournament squad list gave him shirt number 4. The same list recorded him at 186 cm and showed 29 senior caps with one goal at the time the document was prepared. Those figures are a tournament-entry snapshot, so they should not be treated as a permanently current career total.

FIFA noted that defenders including van Eijma gave the squad physical presence. Selection did not guarantee every minute, but it confirmed that the coaching staff trusted him as part of the group responsible for handling World Cup-level attacks. For another experienced defender in the same Curaçao pool, see the FWCTimes profile of Joshua Brenet.

What happened against Ecuador?

A role in Curaçao’s first World Cup point

FIFA’s match report describes Curaçao’s 0-0 draw with Ecuador as the country’s first World Cup point. Van Eijma featured in the match, with FIFA’s coverage showing him contesting the ball against Gonzalo Plata. A clean sheet in that setting required collective discipline rather than one player’s isolated performance.

For a centre-back, matches like this demand concentration when the opponent controls territory. The line must judge when to step forward, when to protect depth and when to delay rather than dive into a challenge. The historic result gave van Eijma a concrete place in Curaçao’s World Cup story. Goalkeeper experience also mattered to the wider squad, and the Eloy Room profile explains another part of that international core.

How does he fit Curaçao’s defensive structure?

Physical presence and compact spacing

FIFA’s squad preview emphasized the physical presence within Curaçao’s defensive selection. Van Eijma fits that description as a centre-back accustomed to senior duels. His usefulness is greatest when physical defending is paired with compact spacing. Stepping out too early can open a channel; dropping too soon can leave the midfield disconnected. The unit has to move together.

Curaçao’s tournament approach also depended on players accepting long spells of defensive work without losing their passing composure when possession returned. Van Eijma’s Dutch league background supports that balance. He has experience defending direct play while also participating in structured circulation from the back.

Career timeline

Key steps from Tilburg to the World Cup

Youth years: Developed in Willem II’s academy in Tilburg.
2016: Joined Roda JC.
2018/19: Made his professional debut, according to TOP Oss.
Roda period: Reached 36 official first-team appearances.
Preußen Münster: Played 11 Regionalliga West matches before returning to the Netherlands.
TOP Oss: Re-established himself in Dutch professional football.
25 March 2021: Made his Curaçao debut in a 5-0 qualifier win.
RKC Waalwijk: Reached the Eredivisie and made 24 league appearances in 2024/25.
World Cup qualifying: Scored his first international goal against Bermuda.
2026: Selected for Curaçao’s first FIFA World Cup squad.

The timeline shows steady progression rather than a single sudden breakthrough. Van Eijma gathered senior responsibility across different levels, returned from Germany, earned an Eredivisie opportunity and remained in Curaçao’s international plans through a historic qualification campaign.

Verified milestones and records

What can be stated with confidence

The strongest verified milestones are his professional debut with Roda, 36 official Roda appearances cited by TOP Oss, 11 Regionalliga West appearances before joining TOP Oss, the 2021 Curaçao debut, his first international goal against Bermuda and selection for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA’s squad list recorded 29 caps and one goal before the tournament.

This page leaves out unverifiable off-field estimates that are often copied without primary evidence and distract from a player’s actual football record. The useful story is already substantial: a Tilburg academy defender built a multi-club career, reached the Eredivisie and helped Curaçao arrive at its first World Cup.

How does his route compare with other Curaçao players?

A Dutch-developed international pathway

Van Eijma is part of a broader Curaçao pattern in which players developed in the Netherlands later represented the Caribbean national team. Shared Dutch football education can help with tactical language and positional concepts, but the national team still has to build its own identity during short international windows. Each player brings a different club background and level of experience.

Van Eijma’s route stands out for its gradual steps through Roda, Münster, TOP Oss and RKC. It contrasts with players who entered major academies or top-flight football earlier. That variety can strengthen a squad because it combines different types of resilience and tactical exposure. The profile of Riechedly Bazoer offers a useful comparison with another Dutch-developed Curaçao international.

What should supporters watch in his next move?

Minutes, role and official confirmation

The first question is not simply which badge appears next to van Eijma’s name. It is whether his next club offers a clear role and regular competitive minutes. Centre-backs benefit from continuity because partnerships, set-piece responsibilities and line coordination improve through repetition. A move that preserves those opportunities could also support his national-team position.

Supporters should wait for an announcement from the player, club or competition before treating transfer reports as completed business. Once a new club is confirmed, the most useful details will be contract duration, squad role and competition level. This page will then update the club-status section and structured data together so the visible article and machine-readable information remain consistent.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Roshon van Eijma?

He was born on 9 June 1998. He turned 28 in June 2026.

Where was Roshon van Eijma born?

He was born in Tilburg in the Netherlands and developed in Willem II’s academy.

Which country does he represent?

Van Eijma represents Curaçao at senior international level. He debuted in March 2021.

What position does he play?

His primary position is centre-back. Official FIFA and club records classify him as a defender.

How tall is he?

FIFA and the Eredivisie list him at 186 centimetres.

Did he play at the 2026 World Cup?

He was selected in Curaçao’s official squad and featured in the 0-0 draw with Ecuador that delivered the country’s first World Cup point.

What is his current club?

FIFA listed RKC Waalwijk as his club in June 2026. No later official club announcement had been confirmed when this page was reviewed on 27 July 2026, so RKC is described as his most recently verified club rather than an open-ended current-club claim.

Research method and update policy

This profile prioritizes first-party and competition sources. Basic identity and tournament details were checked against FIFA’s official squad list. World Cup selection and match context came from FIFA reports. The Roda, Münster, TOP Oss and Curaçao debut details came from TOP Oss’s official announcement. The 2024/25 league numbers came from the Eredivisie’s official player page.

Career data can change after transfers and international matches. The review date is shown so readers can distinguish a verified snapshot from a permanent claim. If an official source publishes a new club, contract or corrected record, FWCTimes will update the visible text, SEO description and Person schema together. That process keeps the page useful to readers and prevents structured data from asserting facts the article does not support.