A look at the 2026 World Cup from the perspective of a Dutch-Canadian.
- By Adam Schenk
Around a campfire on a hazy Kansas City evening, full of anticipation for the Netherlands-Tunisia match we had travelled south to see the next day and the festivities that accompany every Oranje match at a major tournament, our group made a concerning discovery. The World Cup bracket had fallen in such a way that a potential Netherlands-Canada matchup in the round of 16 had become a real possibility were the Dutch to top their group and both nations successfully navigate their round of 32 fixtures. While this match never became a reality due to the Ronald Koeman’s shocking shape and tactical approach against Morocco, resulting in the tepid performance that many of us have bemoaned over the last few weeks, the possibility of a Netherlands-Canada encounter provided a unique moment for soul-searching and introspection for many Canadians with Dutch heritage. Were the two countries to meet, which team would you support?
The question of footballing loyalties for Dutch-Canadians has historically never been a question at all. Given the traditional gulf in quality between the respective national teams, a true confrontation at the World Cup was not a realistic possibility. Canada was as low as 120th in FIFA’s global rankings less than 10 years ago, and before Qatar 2022 had only qualified once for the World Cup, 40 years ago in 1986. The Netherlands were a ‘serious’ footballing nation, and Canada, historically, was not. Supporting the Netherlands in international football therefore hadn’t really presented a true conflict of loyalties, as the divide between the two nations made it almost as though they were playing entirely different sports.
Supporting the Dutch national team also provided a unique opportunity for Dutch-Canadians to maintain a small degree of cultural connection with the Netherlands, particularly for third generation Dutch-Canadians like myself looking to reestablish a deeper bond with a heritage that felt in some ways as though it was slipping away. Generally speaking, the significant number of Dutch immigrants who came to Canada in the immediate aftermath of World War II put a particular emphasis on assimilation within their new country as compared to immigrants from other European nations. Amateur football clubs associated with Italian, Croatian, or Portuguese communities in Canada were commonplace, but ones built around Dutch-Canadian communities were exceedingly rare in comparison. It is not surprising that last names reflecting Dutch heritage were, and are, more common in the highest levels of Canadian hockey than Canadian soccer. Supporting the Netherlands in international soccer has therefore provided a way in which Dutch Canadians could, in a small way, reconnect with cultural roots that may have fallen somewhat by the wayside.
But Canada are no longer on the outside looking in on the international soccer stage. Ranked 30th coming into the World Cup, the national team has experienced a deserved groundswell of support within the country even before acting as a tournament host. Canada’s rapid progression as a footballing nation has occurred during a period of time when Canadian patriotism has experienced a notable peak, providing an additional complication to the already complicated issue of which nation Dutch-Canadians should support should Canada and the Netherlands face off in major international tournament. Canadian identity has frequently relied on distinguishing Canadian culture from that of the United States, and the recent tensions between the two surrounding trade tariffs and the disrespect of Canadian sovereignty, with suggestions that Canada become the 51st state, has bolstered Canadian pride in our country and way of life. How, then, could a Canadian conceivably not support their national team in a match on the very biggest stage of international football, regardless of the opponent?
I won’t share with you the decision I made as to which jersey I would have worn had the Netherlands-Canada match come to fruition. This isn’t because I’m uncomfortable with my own decision, but because it may suggest that I think there’s a right and wrong answer to this question, which I don’t believe there is. Particularly in an age of global travel and immigration, the choice of which national team to support is not a simple, binary question, and may encompass consideration of deeply personal feelings and experiences related to heritage, culture, and identity. When my children asked which jersey they should buy, Canada or the Netherlands, ahead of the World Cup, I told them that either choice was a great one.
While a Netherlands-Canada match would have generated difficulties surrounding loyalties for Dutch-Canadians, from a neutral’s point of view it is unfortunate that the match didn’t come to fruition, as it would have been an interesting and competitive encounter. Koeman would likely have stuck with the 4-3-3 formation and allowed the team to play more positively than they did against Morocco. Canada would have been content to concede a certain degree of possession to the Dutch, but as they demonstrated throughout the tournament would not have been content to park the bus and let the game pass them by. A matchup between Denzel Dumfries and Richie Laryea on the Dutch right flank would have been a particularly fascinating one to watch, as both players are ultra-competitive, physical, and active at both ends of the field. I think a more open version of the Netherlands-Japan match was a realistic expectation if Canada and the Netherlands had met in the round of 16, and the occasion would have allowed both nations an opportunity to put forward the best version of themselves.
And indeed, history has demonstrated that the relationship between the two nations has allowed them to put forward the best versions of themselves outside of the football pitch. While the potential matchup posed challenges of loyalty, it also provided an opportunity to reflect on the special relationship that exists between the two countries. During the Second World War, members of the Dutch royal family were provided safe haven in Canada during German occupation of the Netherlands. The Canadian army played an extremely significant role in the ultimate liberation of the Netherlands; distinct memories of Canadian liberation are treasured deeply within my own family history. Dutch schoolchildren continue to honour Canadian soldiers who lost their lives with the lighting of thousands of candles for each grave at Canadian war cemeteries in the Netherlands every year at Christmastime. SC Cambuur even created a special kit in 2025 in honour of the Royal Canadian Dragoons and their liberation of Leeuwarden; the club was completely overwhelmed by demand for the kit and the memories and emotion that it symbolized for many on both sides of the Atlantic.
So while a future Canada-Netherlands clash in a World Cup would undoubtedly raise some difficult questions surrounding loyalties for Dutch-Canadian football fans, the experience certainly need not be entirely troubling. It would provide an opportunity for reflection on the special relationship enjoyed by the two countries, as well as a moment for both nations to shine on the soccer pitch, reflecting the ways in which both have allowed each other to shine off of it.
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