Not even Houston’s unending humidity or a smattering of summer downpours could stop a storied tradition, as thousands of Dutch football fans gathered at Rice Stadium in Houston clad in orange, some as early as 6 a.m.
The site where President John F. Kennedy vowed to land a man on the Moon became a celebration of world sport as the Dutch faithful prepared to march the roughly 2.5 miles from Rice University to NRG Stadium (or Houston Stadium) to watch the Netherlands national football team take on Sweden. It’s a tradition that has spread to cities around the globe, including Arlington, Texas, and later Kansas City.
I had seen incredible interviews with World Cup tourists visiting the U.S., and my goal was to get one for myself. I made a beeline for the first group of Dutch-looking guys I spotted. I tapped one on the shoulder. “Hello, I’m a journalist, would you be willing to speak with me about your experience in America?” The man, who identified himself only as “Jansen,” was blunt with me.
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“I can’t do this, I’m sorry. I had too many beers last night,” he told me, giving me a friendly sidearm hug as a consolation. My spirits were slightly dampened, but there was no time for despair; I had walking to do. I craned my neck to see the famous Oranje bus, but the sea of orange-clad people stretched as far as the eye could see. A friendly Houstonian pulling a rolling suitcase handed me a Miller Lite. Things were good again.
Dutch fans and Houstonians walk through the Texas Medical Center in Houston ahead of the Netherlands’ match against Sweden in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June, 20 2026.
Gwen Howerton/Chron.com
We began to trudge down Greenbriar Drive from Rice, and the atmosphere was infectious. For the morning, all of Rice Village was transformed into a block party. Families camped out on their lawns, clad in whatever orange they owned—Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa jerseys, Houston Dynamo kits, Sam Houston Bearkats fishing shirts, University of Texas tank tops. One family stood on their roof and tossed beers and water bottles to the crowd. Others blasted music and waved massive Netherlands flags from their balconies.
For one Houstonian who participated in the walk, it was a blending of cultures. She identified herself as Dana and told me that, as a 40-year native Houstonian and a Dutch person, it was amazing to see her city taken over by her people.
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“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Dana said. “I’m really feeling the people, the crowd, the atmosphere. It’s amazing.”
One group of American tourists behind me told me they were “impressed with Houston.” But none were as impressed as the Dutch tourists, who were having a blast. A woman from the Netherlands who said her name was Piroschka told me she had felt nothing but welcomed in Houston. Her favorite part of her trip had been her visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The heat was miserable, she said, but the people made it all worth it.
“[These are] very nice people, everyone is so kind, and I like Houston,” Piroschka said. She told me that she was taking the Netherlands to win 2-1 (It turned out to be a far more lopsided Netherlands win, as fate would have it).
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20 June 2026, USA, Houston: Soccer, Men: World Cup, Netherlands vs. Sweden: Dutch fans in Houston are getting in the mood for the World Cup match against Sweden and are heading toward the stadium in a fan march.
picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty I
For other tourists, the highlight was the food. A Netherlands fan from Canada named John said he had scant time in Houston. As he looked around for his friend, who had their match tickets, he said they were here for the match but had to jet back to Canada on Sunday. That didn’t stop John from trying out the local flavor.
“We went for barbecue last night,” John said. “We got there a bit later, so they were out of a few things, but we had pulled pork, brisket, and sausage. Beautiful, wonderful.”
Another Dutch fan, Menno, told my colleague, Michael Shapiro, that he was in awe of the mass of orange that snaked through Houston. The Dutch Football Association estimated that about 5,000 to 10,000 people would come out. By my eyes and Menno’s, that was an undercount.
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“There’s got to be way more than that today,” Menno said. ” There’s got to be way more than that today. Maybe double. This is incredible.”
The scene in Houston was a microcosm of the World Cup. In an unlikely, unwalkable city, two cultures came together, united by the beautiful game. After the walk, when I was swatted away from NRG Park by the Houston Police for not having a ticket, I posted up at 8th Wonder Brewery to watch the match. Netherlands fans had taken over this spot, too. As the Netherlands’ Brian Bobbey scored the second Dutch goal in the 16th minute, Piroschka’s prediction, made in the crush of a sweaty, drunken crowd, seemed prescient. But even after the Netherlands routed Sweden, 5-1, the words of a Dutch guy named Rens, as he told Shapiro, seemed like the real win.
“Whenever you come to Dutch games abroad, there is a [fan walk]. I’ve been in this walk several times, most recently the Olympic Games,” Rens said. “But this is the biggest by thousands. Much, much bigger,” Rens said. “It’s incredible to see Americans wearing the orange shirt as well.”
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Chron reporter Michael Shapiro contributed to this story.