Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima experienced a significant day at the World Cup, first witnessing the Netherlands’ victory over Sweden and later celebrating Curaçao’s historic match. As Curaçao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hold the position of head of state for the team. The royal couple notably switched their orange scarves, worn during the Dutch match, for blue ones during Curaçao’s game.
Curaçao, the smallest team in the World Cup by population and size, initially lost its first tournament match 7-1 to Germany. However, the team rallied, securing their first point with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador.
King Willem-Alexander shared his enthusiasm in an interview with RTL-TV, stating, “This World Cup is extra special for us because both the Netherlands and Curaçao are participating. This gives us the opportunity to cheer for both teams. It’s a great chance to support both the Blues and the Oranges. For me, with both teams in this special World Cup, I naturally hope they go very far.”.
The Netherlands moved a step closer to the qualification rounds with a decisive 5-1 victory against Sweden. Goals from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo (two each) propelled coach Ronald Koeman’s squad to recover from a disappointing draw in their first match and ascend to the top of Group F. The Dutch will conclude their group stage matches against Tunisia in Kansas City on Thursday.
Curaçao also kept their World Cup hopes alive by drawing 0-0 with Ecuador, thanks to goalkeeper Eloy Room’s 15 saves, just shy of a World Cup record. They will play their final Group E match against Ivory Coast in Philadelphia on Thursday, concurrently with Ecuador’s match against Germany in New York.
Royal visits to this region are infrequent. Queen Ann of Romania attended the opening of Liberty Memorial in Kansas City in the 1920s, which hosted a World Cup FanFest. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden briefly visited Lindsborg, a small Kansas town, during his travels through the Midwest in the 1970s.
