Netherlands picks KC as World Cup base camp, may play another match here: report

The Netherlands’ national soccer team is scheduled to play its final 2026 World Cup group-stage match in Kansas City, but “The Orange” also could have a warm-up game here.

That’s according to Jaap de Groot, a sports reporter for BNR Newsradio in the Netherlands. He reported the team picked Kansas City as a base camp. The team had also considered a spot in Texas, because it plays two matches there.

This is from a story on the BNR website: “Missouri is located in the so-called Midwest, and in the summer it’s much cooler than Texas, with lower humidity. The Dutch national team isn’t alone in this decision; Algeria, England, and world champion Argentina have also chosen Kansas City as their home base.”

That story says the Netherlands’ camp will be at the Kansas City Current’s facility.

According to reports, Algeria is expected to train at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, while England is planning to make its camp at Swope Park.

Argentina would then prepare for the World Cup at Sporting Kansas City’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center.

When the Netherlands will come to KC

The BNR story says the Netherlands is expected to leave for Kansas City on June 5. “The Orange,” the nickname for the Dutch soccer team, will face Tunisia at Arrowhead Stadium on June 25 in a Group F match.

The Netherlands opens World Cup play on June 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. But the Netherlands is planning to play a friendly before the start of the World Cup, De Groot reported.

“We expect this to be against Algeria, which is also preparing in the same area,” De Groot said in the BNR story. “The Algerians’ playing style is similar to that of Tunisia, the Netherlands’ World Cup opponent in Kansas City.”

With Algeria expected to prepare for the World Cup in Lawrence, it’s likely a warm-up match against the Netherlands would take place in Kansas City.

The Netherlands has appeared in seven of the last nine World Cups and has played in the final three times (1974, 1978, 2010). The team is currently ranked seventh in FIFA’s world rankings.