The Netherlands have contested three FIFA World Cup™ finals from 11 previous successful qualifications and reached the knockout phase of every tournament they have participated in from 1974 onwards.
It is an impressive record for a nation of around 18million people and the Oranje will embark on their latest bid to take the final step to global glory at FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
The Netherlands coach: Ronald Koeman
Koeman returned for his second stint at the helm of the Netherlands in January 2023, following Louis van Gaal’s retirement after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. The hugely-experienced tactician has taken the helm of multiple club teams during a career of over 25 years in the dug-out, including Barcelona, PSV, Ajax, Benfica and Everton. His first spell with Oranje ended prematurely when Barca came calling, and he now has the opportunity to lead his homeland on the global stage, having played at two World Cups – in 1990 and 1994 – where he operated in a defensive role and was renowned for his ability from free-kicks and penalties.
The Netherlands’ World Cup fixtures and group
The Netherlands will learn their group-stage opponents at the Final Draw for FIFA World Cup 2026™, which is set to take place at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC at 12:00 local time (18:00 CET) on Friday, 5 December.
Full World Cup 26 match schedule
How the Netherlands qualified for World Cup 2026
The Netherlands had to wait until the final game of their UEFA preliminary campaign to punch their ticket to Canada, Mexico and the USA, with qualification secured courtesy of a 4-0 victory over Lithuania on 17 November. They ended their Group G campaign unbeaten, only dropping points in 1-1 home and away draws with second-placed Poland, while scoring 25 goals and conceding just two from their six other fixtures against Finland, Malta and Lithuania.
The Netherlands’ World Cup history
The Netherlands’ best World Cup
Just 90 minutes has stood between the Netherlands and global glory on three separate occasions, as they reached the World Cup finals of 1974, 1978 and 2010. A team led by the legendary Johan Cruyff were edged out 2-1 by hosts West Germany at the first time of asking, with Argentina then able to celebrate in front of their own supporters against a Cruyff-less Dutch four years later, winning 3-1 after extra time. In their most recent final at the tournament in South Africa, Spain proved to be the Netherlands’ latest nemesis, where Andreas Iniesta’s emotional added-time winner sealed a tense and attritional 1-0 victory.
The Netherlands’ last World Cup
When Wout Weghorst was thrust into the action in the 78th minute of the Netherlands’ fiercely-contested quarter-final clash with Argentina at Qatar 2022, the Dutch were starting down the barrel, trailing 2-0 after another Lionel Messi-inspired display from the South Americans. But Weghorst had other ideas, dragging his side back into the contest in the 83rd minute before finishing a sublime free-kick routine in the 11th minute of added time to take the game to extra time. Penalties were required, where Weghorst was on target again, but Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis were denied by Emi Martinez as Argentina progressed 4-3. The Netherlands had reached the last eight after topping a group featuring Senegal, Ecuador and the hosts, before despatching USA 3-1 in the round of 16.
The Netherlands’ first World Cup
The Netherlands made their World Cup bow at the 1934 tournament in Italy, but were eliminated in the first round, with the 16 teams who qualified going straight into a knockout format to decide the quarter-finalists. After being paired with European rivals Switzerland, the Dutch went on to suffer a 3-2 defeat in Milan. They returned immediately to the global stage in 1938, before a 36-year, six-tournament absence which only ended in 1974, when they reached the final in West Germany.
The Netherlands’ World Cup top scorer
Johnny Rep was integral to the Netherlands reaching the World Cup finals of both 1974 and 1978, scoring four goals during the tournament in West Germany and three more four years later in Argentina. Rep found the net in the initial group stage victories over Uruguay (2) and Bulgaria in 1974, and was then on target again in the 4-0 romp against Argentina which helped them top Group A and reach the showpiece. At the tournament in Argentina, the talented and versatile attacker was on the scoresheet in the shock 3-2 defeat by Scotland in the opening group phase, before bagging a brace in the 5-1 win against Austria which helped them set up a meeting with the hosts in the final.
The Netherlands’ record World Cup appearance maker
Feared attacking duo Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie share this record for the Netherlands, having clocked up 17 appearances apiece across three World Cup tournaments. The duo featured in all four games in 2006 as Oranje reached the Round of 16 in Germany. They clocked up seven more in South Africa four years later as the Dutch went all the way to the final, only to be edged out by Spain. And six games apiece would follow in 2014 at the event in Brazil as the Netherlands suffered semi-final heartache on penalties against Argentina, before claiming third place with victory over the hosts.
The Netherlands’ memorable World Cup moments
Some World Cup moments are a fleeting memory; others immediately take their place in football folklore. When Johan Cruyff plucked Arie Haan’s pass from the clouds against Sweden in 1974 with Jan Olsson in close attendance, there was no hint as to what would follow. But with a glance one way and a supersonic swivel the other, Olsson was left chasing shadows. ‘The Cruyff Turn’ had been born. The Netherlands have also been responsible for two simply breathtaking World Cup goals, with Dennis Bergkamp’s sublime control and deft finish against Argentina in 1998 followed by the equally audacious and no less jaw-dropping diving header from Robin van Persie against Spain in 2014.
At the same tournament in Brazil, van Gaal became the first coach at the World Cup to bring on a substitute goalkeeper specifically for a penalty shootout, sending on Tim Krul 44 seconds before the end of extra time against Costa Rica, with the score locked at 0-0. Krul dived the right way for all five penalties, saving two of them to help secure a 4-3 victory and set a tactical benchmark which many others have since followed.
The Netherlands’ biggest World Cup win
The 1998 FIFA World Cup France™ marked yet another occasion when the Netherlands were challenging at the business end of the tournament, as they reached another semi-final only to lose out to Brazil before being beaten by Croatia in the third-place play-off. Prior to that, Oranje clocked up their biggest-ever World Cup win, brushing aside Korea Republic 5-0 during the group phase. A team packed with attacking talent was too much for their opponents, as Phillip Cocu, Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Pierre van Hooijdonk and Ronald de Boer all found the net at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
