There\u2019s no bigger tournament than the World Cup, and the turnout didn\u2019t disappoint when Arlington on Sunday seized the world\u2019s attention as it hosted the first of nine World Cup matches <\/a>scheduled in the city: the Netherlands vs. Japan.<\/p>\n The pre-game party was everything promised by the Orange Army\u2019s reputation: energy and camaraderie built around a specific nation\u2019s soccer team but undiscriminating to fans of other countries.<\/p>\n Dallas Stadium, as AT&T Stadium has been rebranded for the World Cup, is seen past Dutch fans marching before the Netherlands-Japan match Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Arlington. <\/p>\n That open invitation to come and party with Dutch fans is just a part of what makes it such a jovial event for many.<\/p>\n And while everyone who comes with positive energy and respect for others is welcome, Bart van der Knijff said he\u2019s never seen a gathering with so many non-Dutch fans in the mix.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Americans have been so welcoming, so friendly,\u201d van der Knijff said.<\/p>\n He said he was surprised by exactly how extroverted and warm Texans are, with constant smiles and a consistent curiosity and warmth, asking questions about the Netherlands and eager to make Dutch visitors feel at home.<\/p>\n Dutch fans march past Choctaw Stadium during the Orange Army march before the World Cup game between the Netherlands and Japan Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Arlington. <\/p>\n Dancing to \u201ctypical, terrible Dutch music,\u201d as he called it, van der Knijff said he tried to speak his country\u2019s native language to folks when he first showed up at the rally and quickly realized many of the people with whom he tried to strike up conversation couldn\u2019t understand him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen a lot, a lot of Americans in orange and that\u2019s really new and exciting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Among those Americans in orange were Mike Obindinski and his wife, Kiki Obindinski. The two soccer fans from North Texas said they didn\u2019t care what teams would be in Arlington \u2014 if they had celebrations or pre-game rituals built around the sport, the two of them would be there.<\/p>\n They were surprised by the exuberance brought by the delegation of Dutch fans.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought Mexican fans were uniquely passionate, but these guys? Wow,\u201d Mike Obindinski said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to compare it to.\u201d<\/p>\n The Orange Army was asked to gather outside Choctaw Stadium on Ballpark Way at 10 a.m., by which time they\u2019d already filled the streets and the slick downward slope opposite the venue as their numbers continued to swell, converging on the two buses from every direction.<\/p>\n Dutch fans march with one of two double decker buses brought with them to Texas before the Netherlands vs. Japan World Cup game Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Arlington. <\/p>\n City leaders in Arlington said for more than a year before hosting the first North Texas match of the 2026 World Cup that the fans would number in the tens of thousands, and it certainly looked that way.<\/p>\n By the time the march started at 11 a.m., rain and dark clouds were replaced by sunshine, heat and humidity that did nothing to discourage the party.<\/p>\n Following behind the first of the two buses, the ocean of orange transformed into a river, spilling out onto Ballpark Way, south to Cowboys Way and to Dallas Stadium<\/a>, the temporary FIFA-mandated name of AT&T Stadium.<\/p>\n The dancing and singing only grew more energetic as they started their march. Pauline Visser traveled to Texas for the first time for the match.<\/p>\n \u201cYou sing when there’s something to celebrate, and you wear orange, and it gives a feeling of community, like we’re strong together. It makes people happy,\u201d Visser said. \u201cPeople come from all over the world to see the Dutch people celebrate because we also are kind of a little bit crazy when we celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the most famous singers from the Netherlands was there on one of those buses, Yves Berendse. <\/p>\n Guido Janssen and “The Queen of Cheese” dressed up in modified Dutch traditional outfits to symbolize the Netherlands and their team before the game against Japan, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Arlington. <\/p>\n For Maxine Bol, it was surreal.<\/p>\n She and her husband, Kees Bol, traveled from their home in Washington D.C. to Arlington to see the match. They met when Kees Bol was in the US for graduate school and moved to Holland for five years, during which time they saw Orange Army marches frequently.<\/p>\n But seeing the same representation in Texas was astounding.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a fantastic tradition,\u201d Kees Bol said. \u201cIt\u2019s a very happy group and we\u2019ve got no animosity toward any team. Everyone is welcome to have fun with us, and that means the Americans, too. Even if they don\u2019t know football.\u201d<\/p>\n And that\u2019s a part of the Dutch tradition that gives Maxine Bol so much joy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can have no Dutch connection, but if you come party with the Orange Army it\u2019s going to be a good time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n While Orange was the dominant color in the crowd, pockets of green stuck out: fans of the Mexican national team.<\/p>\n The Netherlands and Mexico have had a rivalry since the 2014 FIFA World Cup (though, if you ask the Dutch fans many will say it\u2019s one-sided), stemming from a penalty kick that won the match for the Netherlands \u2014 one that Mexican fans say wasn\u2019t earned.<\/p>\n And while they laughed, danced and chanted with Dutch fans, they also weren\u2019t shy about making their opinions on the issue known with signs \u2014 some elaborate and others simply marker on a piece of cardboard \u2014 popping up from the crowd as they trekked forward declaring \u201cNo era penal\u201d: It wasn\u2019t a penalty. Mexican fans ahead of the march joked (or in some cases weren’t joking) that they would be cheering for Japan, counting on them to get revenge.<\/p>\n Japanese and Mexican fans hold up their flags with Dallas Stadium in the background before the Netherlands vs. Japan game Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Arlington. <\/p>\n A fan wears a \u201cNo era penal\u201d (it wasn’t a penalty) shirt during the Orange Army march, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Arlington. The phrase was born out of the collective frustration by Mexican fans over a penalty kick in a game against the Netherlands during the 2014 World Cup. <\/p>\n The fact that the upcoming game would pit them against the Netherlands didn\u2019t dissuade Japanese fans from joining the festivities.<\/p>\n They came wearing blue or white jerseys, flags over their shoulders and on headbands and scarves advertising their allegiance to the Samurai Blue<\/a>, a nickname for the Japanese national team.<\/p>\n Kosei Masaki traveled from Japan to watch his team win (with immense confidence that they would) and was partying with the ‘Nederlanders’ before they embarked on their hike to the match.<\/p>\n He arrived in Texas the day before and though he was most excited about the tournament, he said the thrill of the match might have a hard time competing with the Lone Star State\u2019s food \u2014 especially the beef.<\/p>\n But, he said, while he was confident Japan would come out on top in the day\u2019s match, beef is one thing he doesn\u2019t have with Dutch fans.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to tell Dutch fans, \u2018I respect you, but we will win,\u2019 \u201d Masaki said with a laugh, watching the partying procession from the sidewalk.<\/p>\n Shigeki Hanawa felt the same.<\/p>\n He traveled from Tokyo, near Shibuya, to see the contest.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a very friendly match, but a very serious match, too,\u201d Hanawa said.<\/p>\n This was his second trip to a World Cup. Four years ago, he traveled to Qatar to watch the games.<\/p>\n North Texans also share a common passion as Hanawa, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Dallas has more of a sports-oriented kind of atmosphere culture as well, so I think you guys have a very, very nice culture as well,\u201d Hanawa said.<\/p>\n He hopes the World Cup sparks a stronger interest in soccer in the US.<\/p>\n \u201cFootball is like the common language from anywhere,\u201d Hanawa said. \u201cI can talk to anybody through football.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans gather for the Orange Army march before the Netherlands vs. Japan game Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Arlington. <\/p>\n He agreed with Masaki that Japan would win, saying he hoped for and predicted a 2-1 outcome in Japan\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n He was right about how many goals Japan would score, but wrong about the Netherlands\u2019.<\/p>\n The game ended 2-2 after Japan came back twice in what many were already calling a classic game by the time it was over.<\/p>\n That second comeback to tie the game came from Koki Ogawa<\/a>, a forward with the Japanese squad who is very familiar with soccer in the Netherlands \u2014 where he plays club football for NEC Nijmegen.<\/p>\n Got a tip? Email James Hartley at\u00a0jhartley@kera.org. You can follow James on X @ByJamesHartley.<\/p>\n![\"AT&T](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781497093_2_.jpeg\"\/)
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