King Willem-Alexander cheers Netherlands and Curaçao in two-city World Cup sprint
In a whirlwind Sunday, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima watched the Netherlands demolish Sweden 5-1 in Houston before flying 1,200 km to Kansas City to see Curaçao earn a historic point against Ecuador.
A double-header for the kingdom
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima had a packed Sunday at the North American World Cup. Starting in Houston for the Netherlands' Group H clash with Sweden, they then flew roughly 1,200 kilometres north to Kansas City, where Curaçao played Ecuador. Both territories fall under the Dutch crown, giving the royal couple two teams to support on the same day.
Dutch rout Sweden in Houston
The Netherlands cruised to a 5-1 victory over Sweden before midday local time. The king, queen and their daughter watched from the stands, dressed in orange scarves. Queen Máxima was seen celebrating, removing her blazer to join fans in a red shirt rather than orange, though still waving a Dutch scarf. The win puts the Oranje firmly on track for the knockout stage.
Curaçao's historic first point
Seven hours later in Kansas City, the royal party had swapped orange for blue. Curaçao, a World Cup debutant and autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw, securing the island's first ever World Cup point. The king and queen later visited the team's dressing room, where video clips showed them dancing with players. Coach Dick Advocaat, a Dutch veteran who previously managed the Netherlands' senior side, leads a squad where 25 of 26 players were born in the Netherlands.
Joking with Infantino
At the Netherlands match, the royal family sat next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Asked whether he had lobbied the FIFA chief, the king joked:I am a guest of FIFA, and when Gianni Infantino is there, I naturally sit next to the host.
The FIFA Peace Prize, awarded for the first time last December to Donald Trump, was widely criticised. The remark was seen as a signal that the king does not take the award entirely seriously.Maybe I made a few suggestions regarding the Peace Prize in the coming years.
Kingdom ties and what's next
The dual appearances highlight the constitutional bond: the Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four countries – the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Willem-Alexander told RTL:
He added that he hoped both would go far. After the matches, focus shifts to the remaining group games, with the Oranje eyeing the knockout rounds and Curaçao still in contention.It is a particularly special finals because we have Holland and Curaçao. So we have two teams to cheer for.
- Kickoff: Netherlands vs Sweden in Houston
- Netherlands win 5-1; King and Queen celebrate in orange
- Flight to Kansas City, around 1,200 km
- Kickoff: Curaçao vs Ecuador in Kansas City
- Curaçao draw 0-0, securing first World Cup point; royal dressing room visit
