Monterrey buzzes as Dutch and Moroccan fans gather for World Cup clash

At 10:30 a.m. local time (18:30 in the Netherlands), thousands of supporters swarmed Parque Fundidora in Monterrey, where temperatures already read 29 °C and are set to climb to 35 °C, as the Dutch national team prepares for its round‑of‑16 World Cup match against Morocco. The Oranje fans were entertained for ninety minutes by the so‑called Oranjefanteam, featuring artists Yuki, FeestDJRuud and Yves Berendse. The KNVB sold 5,000 tickets for the encounter with Morocco. Many Dutch residents in Mexico joined the celebration, alongside a sizable contingent of local Mexican spectators. In the United States, Dutch fanwalks attracted over 15,000 people in Dallas and Houston during group‑stage games against Japan and Sweden, and 22,000 in Kansas City for the match against Tunisia.

Knockout stage: Brazil vs Japan, Germany vs Paraguay, and Netherlands vs Morocco.

The fanwalk consists of a long procession behind an orange double‑decker bus, a spectacle that has proved popular with American fans, who also enjoy the left‑to‑right jump to Snollebollekes’ supporters’ anthem. Monterrey’s fanwalk begins at 12:00 local time, after the orange double‑decker bus travelled 1,800 km from the previous match against Tunisia. The Netherlands and Mexico previously met in the 2014 World Cup round of 16, where Wesley Sneijder took the Dutch side into extra time (1‑1) and Klaas‑Jan Huntelaar secured victory from a penalty after Arjen Robben fell. Many Mexicans still recall the incident as a dive, saying “No era penal”. Marianne van Leeuwen, director of professional football at the KNVB, said, “Ook daar kijken ze uit naar ons. Ik hoorde dat de gouverneur 200.000 oranjeshirts heeft besteld”. She added that Mexicans have forgiven the Robben incident and now walk with his photos in the Oranjemars. Cody Gakpo is ready to face Morocco, stating, “Ik ben onder de indruk van hoe hij omgaat met het trieste nieuws”.