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Oonk was interviewed for an article in Het Parool about how Amsterdam residents from different countries or cultural backgrounds are dealing with the World Cup and how they are confronted with this within Dutch society.

He believes that Dutch people from certain backgrounds should not have to face the question ‘Which country are you for?’. We are forcing people with a dual identity to choose sides. And what if the Netherlands were to play against someone’s country of origin? “That’s like asking a child to choose between their mother and father. If you have family in several countries, you have multiple loyalties. That’s not a choice; it’s simply the way it is.” 

In Het Parool, he calls it a nineteenth-century question. “It’s a question born of war. You’re only allowed to have one passport; you’re only allowed to support one country. With the illusion that, as a Dutch person, you’re always loyal to the Netherlands. There’s absolutely no guarantee that you’ll be super-loyal just because you have only one passport.”

One person does not necessarily represent an entire group. “When I’m talking to a Muslim, I’m not talking to Islam. Just as I don’t represent the Christian West myself. That distinction sounds simple, but in practice we constantly forget it,” says Oonk.

Oonk also argues that the way the World Cup is covered in the Netherlands contributes to the problem. “Much of journalism still has very strong national roots and continues to think within those frameworks. Major cities have been more diverse for years than the national narrative suggests, yet the coverage remains largely ‘orange-coloured’. There is little room for the Amsterdammer who cheers on Morocco, Turkey or Cape Verde.”

But Oonk is also optimistic and, in his view, the World Cup also presents an opportunity. “Sport really brings people together. But as a conversation starter, not as a test of loyalty.”