Dutch fans may want to march to Arrowhead. KCPD says: Don't.
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Thousands of Dutch soccer fans are coming to KC next month, and KCPD wants them to know one thing: They shouldn't try to walk to the stadium.
The big picture: The Netherlands plays Tunisia on June 25 at Arrowhead Stadium, called Kansas City Stadium for the tournament. From the Fan Fest to the stadium is about 9 miles, and the easiest route is up I-70.
Catch up quick: Dutch fans are famous for marching. Their fan group, known as the Orange Legion, lines up behind the team's official orange double-decker bus, singing and dancing all the way to the stadium. The tradition went viral during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
- The bus arrived in Galveston, Texas, last week. It's headed to Dallas and Houston before making the trip to KC for the team's group stage match.
- The Netherlands will train at the Kansas City Current Training Facility in Riverside.
Between the lines: At a Kansas City PBS town hall Tuesday night, KCPD Chief Stacey Graves was asked if the department is ready for Dutch fans marching from downtown to Arrowhead.
- "We are ready for whatever comes our way," Graves said. "But I will tell you, obviously, for safety reasons, not a good idea."
- These marches usually take about an hour from a city center to the stadium, Graves said. KC's would take roughly three and a half hours on foot.
Flashback: In Berlin in 2024, an estimated 100,000 Dutch fans marched to the stadium during the UEFA Euro tournament, per FIFA. For the team's opener against Japan in Arlington on June 14, FIFA's expecting around 10,000.
What they're saying: Mayor Quinton Lucas already promised KC will welcome "their epic march to the match."
- How epic, and how far, is still to be seen.
What's next: The Dutch play their first two group stage matches in Arlington and Houston before the orange bus rolls into KC on June 25.
Go deeper: Dutch super fan describes World Cup energy.