WILLEMSTAD, AMSTERDAM – King Willem-Alexander has expressed confidence that the upcoming football World Cup will be a memorable one for both the Netherlands and Curaçao. The remark was made during the New Year’s reception at the Royal Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam.
After outlining the many challenges facing the Kingdom, the King described the Netherlands as “a great sporting nation.” He then added that it would be a country that would go far in the World Cup this summer. Standing beside him were Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix.
“Just like Curaçao,” the King added, referring to the Caribbean country’s historic qualification for the World Cup.
Asked jokingly about the source of his confidence, Willem-Alexander was deliberately vague. “You might wonder how I can be so sure, given the unpredictable future I just spoke about,” he said with a smile. “Some things you just feel.”
Curaçao secured its first-ever qualification for a World Cup last autumn, becoming the smallest country in history to reach the tournament. The Curaçao national team will make its World Cup debut on June 14 in Houston, United States, where it will face Germany in its opening match.
The King’s remarks were met with enthusiasm, particularly in Curaçao, where qualification for the World Cup has been widely celebrated as a historic sporting achievement for the island and the wider Kingdom.