The Netherlands opens its 2026 World Cup campaign on Sunday against Japan, in one of the tournament’s toughest groups, after decades of high promise and empty hands at football’s biggest tournament. And the questions its coach and star midfielder faced on Saturday suggest that the nation’s hope and dread have followed the Dutch to Texas.On Saturday, less than 24 hours before the opening match in Arlington, Texas, the team’s coach and star midfielder fielded questions from the Dutch press about a perceived lack of enthusiasm back home and a pair of underwhelming pre-tournament friendlies.“Obviously, we are aware of the feelings and the vibe in the Netherlands, and you do read the messages you get, so we have a fairly good idea of the vibe, but it doesn’t matter,” midfielder Frenkie de Jong said.“It’s not as if our self-confidence has been jeopardized. We are full of self-confidence and hope we’ll be able to provide you with some more confidence after the game.”The Dutch have reached the World Cup final three times (in 1974, 1978, and 2010) without winning it, and failed to qualify for the tournament altogether in 2018. No nation has finished runner-up as often without ever lifting the trophy. In their last major tournament, they lost to England in the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship.