The program concluded with an unforgettable surprise for a group of young soccer players when four members of the Netherlands men’s national team walked onto the field during a training session at the Kansas City Current training complex.

Tijjani Reijnders, Marten de Roon, Quinten Timber, and Lutsharel Geertruida joined the children, signed autographs, posed for photographs, and spent time with the local coaches. Their visit marked the final day of the WorldCoaches course, organized by the KNVB in partnership with Kansas City Current and Nike.

The Embassy supported the project as part of its wider efforts to ensure that the Netherlands’ presence during the World Cup creates meaningful and lasting connections with host communities.

Kansas City served as the base camp for the Netherlands national team and experienced the energy of Dutch soccer culture firsthand. Thousands of orange-clad supporters filled the streets during the Oranje fan marches, creating some of the most memorable celebrations of the tournament.

WorldCoaches adds another dimension to that Dutch presence: an investment in local coaches and young players whose impact will continue long after the fans have gone home.

WorldCoaches is the KNVB’s international coaching program. It trains local coaches to teach soccer while also helping young people develop confidence, resilience, teamwork, and leadership skills. The program is built on the idea that coaches can play an important role in children’s lives, particularly in communities where access to sports programs and positive role models may be limited.

In Kansas City, 25 coaches working in girls’ and women’s soccer completed the course. The training was led by KNVB instructor Bert Zuurman and focused on both technical coaching skills and the wider social role of a coach.

On the final day, the newly trained coaches put their lessons into practice during a soccer event for approximately 45 children from underserved neighborhoods in Kansas City. The appearance of the Dutch internationals came as a complete surprise.

For the children, it was an opportunity to meet players preparing to compete at the highest level of international soccer. For the coaches, it reinforced one of the central ideas behind WorldCoaches: that sport can inspire, connect, and open doors.

Kansas City Current, which hosted the program at its training facility, described the initiative as an investment in strengthening the women’s game for future generations. By training coaches who are active in their communities, the program’s impact can continue long after the World Cup has ended.

That long-term approach is also central to the Embassy’s support for the project. Rather than focusing only on the tournament itself, WorldCoaches uses the global attention surrounding the World Cup to invest in local coaches, young players, and community partnerships.

The visit by Reijnders, De Roon, Timber, and Geertruida may have been the highlight of the day, but the coaches will carry the program forward. Through their work, and through the cooperation between Dutch and local partners, the excitement surrounding the World Cup can become something more lasting: stronger local soccer programs, greater opportunities for young people, and deeper ties between the Netherlands and Kansas City.