The Dutch fans are, how could it be otherwise, a lot more optimistic. “It only takes a few positive turns in the group stage, and before you know it you are world champion,” says a walker.
Sports journalist Barbara Barend is also cautiously optimistic. “Our boys all play in top competitions, they are the right age. If it has to happen once with this generation, then now.”
Most supporters depend on how their team will do in the World Cup, but Barend looks ahead with mixed feelings. “I’ve lived in the United States, and the football culture there is simply zero. Luckily we still have Mexico, because the fans from Latin America are always fantastic.”