The Netherlands kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw against Japan at Dallas Stadium in Arlington on Sunday.
For thousands of Dutch fans who made the trip to Texas, though, the party had started long before kick-off.
Hours before the match, the Oranje Legioen (Orange Army) had gathered in Arlington. They sang Dutch songs and danced to electronic music in the rain, five hours before kick-off, behind two orange double-decker buses shipped from the Netherlands.
Fans held up tifos reading “Dallas Has Cowboys, We Have Koeman” as the march snaked towards the stadium, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Orange took over Arlington
The fanwalk drew a mix of Dutch supporters and curious locals, with fan Bart van der Knijff telling KERA News he had never seen so many non-Dutch fans join the march.
“The Americans have been so welcoming, so friendly,” he said.
Speaking with NBCDFW, Marianne van Leeuwen, director of professional football at the KNVB (the Dutch football association), describes it as “the moment when the Orange experience truly comes to life.”
Inside the stadium, the atmosphere matched the pre-match energy. It was the first World Cup match hosted in North Texas, and the stands were a sea of orange.
On the pitch, a late equaliser spoiled it
For much of the game, Oranje were the dominant side, controlling possession and keeping Japan largely pinned back.
Crysencio Summerville put the Netherlands 2-1 ahead in the 64th minute, and a win looked well within reach.
READ MORE | Oranje at the World Cup 2026: cynicism, messy friendlies, and the usual Dutch chaos
But Koeman’s defensive substitutions shifted the balance, and Japan’s late equaliser punished a team that had stopped pressing and dropped too deep.
The late equaliser meant Oranje finished with a draw, marking the first time since 1998 that the Netherlands have started a World Cup without a win, according to NOS.
A debate about coach Ronald Koeman’s choices started almost as soon as the final whistle blew.
Tip: If you’re watching from home, NOS is streaming all Dutch matches for free.
Meanwhile, Curaçao made history and took a beating
Elsewhere in Texas, there was a bittersweet milestone for another team from the Dutch Kingdom. Curaçao made their World Cup debut on Saturday, losing 7-1 to Germany in Houston.
Their 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat became the oldest national team coach ever to take charge at a World Cup.
He took the heavy scoreline in his stride. “The boys got to experience what this level is. That’s only a good thing. We knew it would be hard,” he tells NOS.
Captain Leandro Bacuna was proud of the team’s resilience, noting that Curaçao pulled a goal back before half-time.
“We can score against Germany, so why not against Ecuador and Ivory Coast?” Curaçao’s next match is against Ecuador on June 21 in Kansas City.
Are you watching the World Cup from the Netherlands, or did you make it to Texas? Let us know in the comments.
