KNVB director Frank Pauw: 'The diplomacy of silence is more effective than playing openly'

The upcoming World Cup 2026, which will be held in the US, Mexico and Canada, is coming amid several controversies. After the controversial World Cup in Russia and Qatar, preparations are now underway for a corruption-free World Cup. However, it is also being said that many issues may arise in this World Cup, such as expensive tickets, low prize money, concerns from the US Immigration Service, and the closeness between Trump and Infantino.

KNVB President Frank Pauw (67) talked about this. He said, "Mentioning the challenges sounds a bit depressing, but I am a positive person. This tournament will be different from Euro 2000, where we had tremendous support. We are expecting around five thousand Oranje supporters in the stadiums and the same number in additional game cities."Amnesty International has warned supporters about the ICE police service. "We recently spoke with members of Amnesty. They are concerned about both the World Cup and the KNVB. We have regular meetings so that when an incident occurs, the conversation does not get heated," Pauw said.

Pauw shared his experiences with security, saying, "Working as a security consultant for UEFA during my police days, I realized that host countries enforce the rules more flexibly, in order to attract maximum supporters."

He also said, "We hope that the host country and the organizers will conduct a safe and welcoming tournament."Pauw added, "We will face heat problems at the games. The Orange team is playing in the 'hot zone', with matches in Dallas, Houston and Kansas City. The two stadiums have air conditioning, but the heat will be an important factor."

Regarding the high prices of World Cup tickets, Pauw said, "We consider the ticket prices to be very high. We wanted the prices to be reduced or an additional category to be added. We have told FIFA about this."

He also said, "The prices of major events in the US are naturally higher. We are paying attention to this and working to ensure access for supporters."Pauw said, "We hope that the host city will not burden its taxpayers with FIFA's expenses. There is a lack of football culture there. I want to see if a unique experience can be created there."

He also discussed the differing approaches between UEFA and FIFA, and revealed that UEFA has drawn up a strategy for Euro 2028 that includes stable ticket prices and more seats for traveling supporters.

"FIFA aims to increase prize money as much as possible, but we must ensure that participants receive fair rewards," Pauw said.

He said, "We want to maintain a balance where the gap between financial gain and the quality of the game does not increase."

"We are cooperating with FIFA, but we must ensure that all participants are fairly compensated for their hard work," Pauw concluded.