Dutch Soft Power in Texas: Orange Unity at the World Cup

The Netherlands stage a diplomatic push during the World Cup in Texas, with sports minister Mirjam Sterk engaging researchers, LGBTQ+ advocates, and community groups to use the country’s famous orange fan culture as soft power, while climate activists plan protests at FIFA’s Aramco sponsorship sites; in San Francisco, Mayor Daniel Lurie prepares to host a knockout match, drawing on past World Cup experience; and a side piece explains why Dutch fans wear orange, tying it to the royal House of Orange and historical ties that echo in North America.