Number of past World Cup appearances: 11
Best result: Runner-up (1974, 1978, 2010)
First appearance: 1934 (Italy)
Top goal scorer: Johnny Rep (7)
Most appearances: Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie (17)
Player to watch: Tijani Reynders
FIFA World Ranking: 7th place
The Netherlands never lived up to its potential at the World Cup, losing in all three finals it reached (1974, 1978 and 2010). The 1988 Euro-winning team fell short of replicating their European success on the world stage.
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However, despite the failures of previous golden generations, we should not be hasty in ignoring this unknown aspect.
The Netherlands remained undefeated through eight qualifying matches, but Poland was held to a draw.
With commanding defenders, a midfield of real class and enough attacking options to cause problems for any defense, this Dutch team has an outside chance of lifting the trophy for the first time.
Lijnders: The heartbeat of the midfield
Man City’s Tijani Lijnders has steadily established himself as one of Europe’s best midfielders over the past few seasons and will come into this competition in great fitness.
After two excellent years at AC Milan, where he was named Serie A’s midfielder of the season, he joined City in 2025 and, although he was not always in the starting XI, he adapted well to life under manager Josep Guardiola.
He has five goals and two assists in 28 Premier League appearances this season, but these relatively modest headline figures don’t tell the full story of his impact, especially at international level.
Lijnders is a Dutch all-action man. He comes forward, coordinates defense and attack, breaks down opposition attacks, and has a classy, sure-footed presence on the ball.
In general, if he plays well, Holland also plays well.
solid core
Liverpool legend Virgil van Dijk may not be the force he was a few years ago, but he is still a world-class and experienced centre-back.
He leads a talented defensive line that includes Micky van de Ven, Julian Timber and Jan Paul van Hecke.
In front of them, Ryan Gravenbirch, who has been outstanding for Liverpool in recent seasons, can protect the defense and also create a dangerous attack up front.
His teammate Kodi Gakpo provides a huge threat wide and in front of goal and has been one of Liverpool’s better performers in what has been a poor season for the 2024/25 Premier League champions.
worry about injury
The Netherlands suffered a major blow in April when Tottenham playmaker Xavi Simons tore his anterior cruciate ligament. Arguably the most important creative Dutch player, he will be sidelined for months and will not have a chance to play in the tournament.
Memphis Depay is currently the country’s top scorer with 55 goals in 108 caps and is usually a key player up front, but his inconsistency has been a source of frustration for club and country alike.
He was named in the squad for Brazilian club Corinthians despite making just two substitute appearances in the past two months as he struggled to recover from a hamstring injury.
“I chose Memphis because of who he is yet. There’s no one else who can do that at that position. I believe he can be an asset, but he’s got to get through this period.”
Arsenal defender Timber is also a cause for concern as he has been sidelined since March with a groin injury and will no doubt take time to find his match form.
“The Timbers have Ian Maassen and Lutcharel Heertruida on their standby list. He was scheduled to train with Arsenal today to assess his situation ahead of the weekend. They have the Champions League final on Saturday and it remains to be seen whether he is fit for that game,” Koeman said.
Second chance for Koeman
Koeman coached the national team from 2018 to 2020, and this will be his second time as the national team manager.
After the Netherlands failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, Koeman qualified for Euro 2020, but was appointed Barcelona manager before the tournament.
After struggling in his role at the club in recent times, Koeman has returned to take the reins once again. He was a player favorite and revered as a legend in Dutch football during his last term, but will face the difficult task of balancing world-class talent with a team that is imperfect in places.
He will at least hope he doesn’t have to deal with the pesky egos and strong personalities that have weakened Dutch teams that were very strong in the past. This current squad does not outwardly appear to be as combustible as previous versions.
What does their group look like?
Group F should offer the Netherlands a relatively easy path to the last 32.
The toughest match is likely to be the opening match against Japan, a talented team seen as a dark horse who recently defeated England in a friendly at Wembley.
Sweden had a dismal qualifying season, but reached the play-offs through the Nations League, and still have plenty of dangerous players like Victor Gökeres and Anthony Elanga.
The final group game against Tunisia should be a simpler affair as the North Africans lack any real stars, but they tend to be stubborn opponents that are difficult to overcome in major tournaments.
Dutch group stage matches
⚽ June 14: Netherlands vs. Japan (Dallas, USA), 4pm ET (20:00 GMT)
⚽ June 20: Netherlands vs Sweden (Houston, USA) 1:00 PM ET (17:00 GMT)
⚽ June 24: Tunisia vs Netherlands (Kansas City, USA), 7pm ET (23:00 GMT)
Al Jazeera predictions
Last 16.
While the Dutch boast undoubted talent, they have never been elite enough or cohesive enough to form a team that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Netherlands World Cup representative
Goalkeepers: Bad Verbruggen (Brighton), Robin Rufus (Sunderland), Mark Frecken (Bayer Leverkusen).
Defenders: Julian Timber (Arsenal), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Jorel Hato (Chelsea), Denzel Dumfries (Inter), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton).
Midfielders: Ryan Grafenberch (Liverpool), Tijani Lijnders (Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Quinten Timber (Marseille), Gus Till (PSV Eindhoven), Mats Wiefer (Brighton).
Forwards: Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noah Lang (Galatasaray), Donyell Malen (Roma), Crisencio Somerville (West Ham), Wout Weghorst (Ajax).
