King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands experienced a significant Saturday, beginning by watching the Dutch national team defeat Sweden in Houston. Later that day, they witnessed Curaçao make history against Ecuador in Kansas City. As heads of state for Curaçao, an island nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the monarchs showed their support for both teams. They were seen wearing bright orange scarves for the earlier match, switching to vibrant blue ones for Curaçao’s game.
Curaçao, the smallest team in the World Cup by population and size, had previously lost 7-1 to Germany in their opening match last Sunday. However, they rallied to secure their first point of the tournament with a 0-0 draw against La Tri.
Speaking to RTL-TV, Willem-Alexander commented, “This World Cup is extra special because we have both the Netherlands and our Curaçao. So we have double the reason to cheer. It’s a great opportunity to support both the Blues and the Oranges. All in all, it will be a special World Cup for me with two teams, and naturally, I hope they go very far.”
The Netherlands is one step closer to the knockout stages after a decisive 5-1 victory over Sweden. Goals from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo, each scoring twice, helped coach Ronald Koeman’s squad recover from an opening draw and secure the top spot in Group F. The Dutch will conclude their group matches against Tunisia in Kansas City on Thursday.
Following their draw with Ecuador, where Eloy Room made 15 saves, nearing a World Cup record, Curaçao remains in contention. They will finish their Group E matches against Ivory Coast in Philadelphia on Thursday, at the same time Ecuador faces Germany in New York.
The presence of reigning monarchs in this region is rare. Queen Ann attended the opening of Liberty Memorial in the 1920s, which hosted Kansas City’s World Cup FanFest. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden visited the town of Lindsborg during a trip through the Midwest in the 1970s.
