Most members of the NH Nieuws panel are not looking forward to the World Cup. This is apparent from research in which 1,623 people participated. Most don’t like football, but even the fans are giving up now. “Football has been a part of my life, but I am completely done with it,” says Co Backer from Beverwijk.
He is boycotting the World Cup because it is being held in Qatar, where migrant workers died building the stadiums. And FIFA is said to have awarded the tournament to the country after several representatives of the world football association were bribed. But also the human rights violations in the country itself.
‘There is blood on this World Cup’
It leaves a bad aftertaste for many NH Nieuws panel members. “How do they get it into their heads to play football there, it is scandalous,” said Jan from the municipality of Waterland. And Kobus from Medemblik says: “There is blood on this World Cup.”
But 11 percent say they are looking forward to the World Cup to a great extent, 22 percent still to a reasonable extent. But the vast majority, 67 percent, are not looking forward to it. That is also much more than when we gave the panel members their opinion last year about the European Football Championship.
The majority of the group that does not go to watch does not like football (40 percent). But almost a third boycott the tournament because of the human rights violations in Qatar. 10 percent skip the World Cup because they have no confidence in the Dutch national team and 5 percent don’t like the fact that it is held in November/December instead of June/July.
No king or cabinet to Qatar
Most panellCitizens also do not want the cabinet to travel to Qatar (69 percent). But they have even more trouble with a possible visit from one or more members of the royal family (7 percent).
Text continues below the graphic about the expectations of the Dutch National Team at the World Cup.
Meanwhile, the men of Orange are participating in a World Cup for the first time since 2014. Confidence in a good result is low. The largest group (28 percent) expects the Dutch national team to be out after the group stage. But 4 percent expect the Orange to become world champion. “Always aim high”, says Petra from the Dijk en Waard municipality.
The fact that so little is expected from Orange is not due to national coach Louis van Gaal. Nearly half (45 percent) have a high degree of confidence in him, a quarter (25 percent) have a reasonable degree of confidence. As a disguised compliment, Frank from Purmerend says: “It’s a dick, but a competent dick.”
Who will be world champion then?
But if the Netherlands does not run away with the world title. Who then? 18 percent have no idea. But then Germany follows as the favorite (15 percent), closely followed by Brazil (14 percent) and France (12 percent).
It will be Madelon from the municipality of Dijk en Waard in Dutch ‘a sausage’. “I hope that the KRO-NCRV will broadcast a lot of detectives again.”
Look here at the most frequently made choices for the world title.