De Oranje hit the World Cup and in the middle of a 7-1 thumping, Curaçao’s lone goal might have meant the most of all. Here are today’s quick hits.
Here are the quick hits from day four at the FIFA World Cup.
1. Curaçao’s magic moment against Germany
Curaçao came into this tournament as the smallest country to ever qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
The Caribbean island nation has a population equivalent to that of Greater Darwin, about 152,000 people.
Livano Comenencia scored Curaçao’s first-ever goal at a World Cup. (Getty Images: Alexander Hassenstein)
And you can bet yourself that every single one of them leaped in the air and celebrated wildly when Livano Comenencia powered a piledriver of a shot past German veteran keeper Manuel Neuer to level the scores midway through the first half.
This is the stuff that dreams are made of, the 22-year-old wheeling away in delight and sliding on his knees as those clad in blue shirts roared in delight at their unexpected boon.
Sure, it might have ended badly for Curaçao, but they will always have that moment when, for a brief spell, they were holding the four-time champions under their spell.
2. Iconic Oranje fan walk takes over Dallas
Netherlands’ fans have made the humble journey to the stadium an art form. While they’re not the only supporters to do it, the Oranje fan walk has become one of the most recognisable and celebrated in international football.
First, there’s the bus. That’s right, an actual orange double-decker bus with a hype man up top directing the crowd in unison as classic pump up tunes, and some Dutch anthems, blast out of the speakers.
The bus actually landed in Texas a few weeks ago after being shipped in across the Atlantic.
Then there’s the orange/Oranje crush, as thousands of fans sporting the nation’s hi-vis colour turn what should be a 10-minute brisk walk to the stadium into an hour-long street party.
The Dutch party bus arrives in Dallas. (ABC News: Amanda Shalala)
Some fans come from the Netherlands just to be part of the walk, even if they don’t have a ticket, while many more locals join in and become an honorary Oranje fan for the day.
3. World Cup minnows unite against UEFA boss
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has been criticised by governing bodies in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean for saying the expanded 48-team World Cup creates “uninteresting matches”.
Aleksander Ceferin has copped heat for his criticism of the expanded World Cup. (Getty Images: Toya Sarno Jordan)
The associations of Cape Verde, Congo, Curaçao, Haiti, Jordan and Uzbekistan issued a joint statement they said was in solidarity with the federations of Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.
“Football does not belong to a select group of nations. Its strength comes from its universality,” the statement said.
“For many countries, participation in the FIFA World Cup is not only a sporting achievement. It is a moment that inspires a generation, accelerates football development and creates memories that last a lifetime.”
The statement didn’t cite the comment by Čeferin. He was quoted by the Slovenian websites Zurnal 24 and Dosi as remarking on the subject last week at a conference in Ljubljana.
“We have a huge number of matches that are completely uninteresting,” he said, according to Zurnal 24, while adding the expansion allows small countries to participate and experience the tournament’s excitement.
4. Trudeau chooses Katy over Canada’s opener
Former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau was a notable absentee from his nation’s opening game against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto.
Trudeau did make an appearance in LA for the United States’ match against Paraguay, which raised a few eyebrows.
Trudeau said he made the decision because his girlfriend, Katy Perry, performed in the pre-game show before the match at SoFi Stadium.
“Sometimes supportive boyfriend duties call. But you know who I’m rooting for to take the Cup,” he tweeted.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, you know what they say about California Gurls.
5. Banished Somali ref will still get paid
The Somali referee who was denied entry to the United States for the World Cup will still be paid his full tournament fee.
An anonymous source told AP that Omar Artan will still be entitled to payment despite not officiating any games at the nearly six-week-long event.
Omar Artan is set to receive payment despite not being allowed into the US for the World Cup. (Getty Images/FIFA: Hector Vivas)
The source said the fee would be determined after the tournament concludes next month.
Artan is one of soccer’s top officials and was named Africa’s best male referee in 2025. But the Somali national was denied entry after arriving at Miami International Airport from Istanbul last week.
The 34-year-old Artan was given a hero’s welcome when he returned to Somalia earlier this week and vowed to attend the next edition of the World Cup — mainly staged in Morocco, Portugal and Spain — in 2030.
ABC/AP
