Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has dismissed assertions from a Moroccan reporter that Mexican football fans will favor Morocco during their upcoming match in Monterrey, Mexico.
The match is scheduled for early Tuesday morning.
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The journalist suggested local support would lean toward Morocco due to lingering resentment from the 2014 World Cup.
Many Mexicans believe Arjen Robben won an unfair penalty against their country.
The reporter directly questioned the defender during a press conference about how he would react to news that Mexicans would support Morocco on the night of June 29, 2026.
"Daar ben ik het niet mee eens," countered the Netherlands national team defender Virgil van Dijk.
The 34-year-old center-back explained that his personal experiences and recent interactions in the area indicated strong backing for the Dutch team instead.
"Ik denk dat we juist veel oranje zullen zien, dat is in ieder geval het gevoel dat ik krijg.
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We hebben volgens mij al een geweldig welkom gehad in het hotel, maar de berichten die ik hoor zijn anders dan jullie berichten.
Natuurlijk is de geschiedenis er, maar ik verwacht veel oranje," said Van Dijk, as reported by voetbalprimeur. nl.
The captain further pointed toward organized fan activities that are expected to draw a large crowd ahead of the match kickoff at 3:00 a.
m. Dutch time.
"Er zal ook een Oranje-fanwalk zijn die waarschijnlijk indrukwekkend wordt. Maar misschien heb ik het mis.
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We zullen het zien," added Van Dijk.
