Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup explained

This is a record of the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup. The Netherlands entered qualification for 19 of the 22 FIFA World Cup tournaments to date, qualifying 11 times. They have a record of 3 World Cup final appearances (as of 2022) without winning the tournament.

After appearing in two consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, the team had their biggest World Cup streak in the 1990s, reaching three straight tournaments. In 1990, two years after the European Championship at the UEFA Euro 1988, the Dutch went out in the Round of 16, defeated by West Germany. In 1994 Netherlands was eliminated by Brazil in the quarter-finals, and in 1998 lost to Brazil in the semi-finals and Croatia in the third-place play-off. Netherlands returned in 2006, being eliminated by Portugal in the Round of 16, a game known as the Battle of Nuremberg. In 2010 the team reached their third World Cup final, this time losing to Spain. The Dutch avenged this loss during the first match of the following 2014 World Cup, routing the Spanish 5–1, and eventually going on to their first third-place finish. After missing the 2018 World Cup, they returned in 2022, being eliminated in the quarter-final stage. The Dutch have never lost a World Cup match in regular time by more than one goal, and have not lost a match since the 2010 final, their 2014 and 2022 campaigns both ending in defeat by way of penalty shoot-out and both by Argentina.

Record at the FIFA World Cup

Netherlands' World Cup record
First Match	3–2 (27 May 1934; Milan, Italy)
Best Result	Runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010
Worst Result	First round in 1934 and 1938

By match

World Cup	width=110	Round	width=150	Opponent	width=60	Score	width=50	Result	width=120	Venue	Netherlands scorers
1934	Round of 16		2–3	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Milan	K. Smit, L. Vente
1938				align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Le Havre
1974	Group 3		2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Hanover	J. Rep (2)
			0–0	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Dortmund
			4–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Dortmund	J. Neeskens (2), J. Rep, T. de Jong
	Group A		4–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Gelsenkirchen	J. Cruyff (2), R. Krol, J. Rep
			2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Gelsenkirchen	J. Neeskens, R. Rensenbrink
			2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Dortmund	J. Neeskens, J. Cruyff
	Final		1–2	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Munich	J. Neeskens
1978	Group 4		3–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Mendoza	R. Rensenbrink (3)
			0–0	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Mendoza
			2–3	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Mendoza	R. Rensenbrink, J. Rep
	Group A		5–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Córdoba	J. Rep (2), E. Brandts, R. Rensenbrink, W. van de Kerkhof
			2–2	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Córdoba	A. Haan, R. van de Kerkhof
			2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Buenos Aires	E. Brandts, A. Haan
	Final			align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Buenos Aires	D. Nanninga
1990	Group F		1–1	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Palermo	W. Kieft
			0–0	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Cagliari
			1–1	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Palermo	R. Gullit
	Round of 16		1–2	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Milan	R. Koeman
1994	Group F		2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Washington, D.C.	W. Jonk, G. Taument
			0–1	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Orlando
			2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Orlando	D. Bergkamp, B. Roy
	Round of 16		2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Orlando	D. Bergkamp, W. Jonk
	Quarter-finals		2–3	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Dallas	D. Bergkamp, A. Winter
1998	Group E		0–0	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Saint-Denis
			5–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Marseille	P. Cocu, M. Overmars, D. Bergkamp, P. van Hooijdonk, R. de Boer
			2–2	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Saint-Étienne	P. Cocu, R. de Boer
	Round of 16		2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Toulouse	D. Bergkamp, E. Davids
	Quarter-finals		2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Marseille	P. Kluivert, D. Bergkamp
	Semi-finals		1–1	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Marseille	P. Kluivert
	Third place play-off		1–2	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Paris	B. Zenden
2006	Group C		1–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Leipzig	A. Robben
			2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Stuttgart	R. van Persie, R. van Nistelrooy
			0–0	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Frankfurt
	Round of 16		0–1	align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Nuremberg
2010	Group E		2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Johannesburg	D. Agger (o.g.), D. Kuyt
			1–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Durban	W. Sneijder
			2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Cape Town	R. van Persie, K. Huntelaar
			2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Durban	A. Robben, W. Sneijder
	Quarter-finals		2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Port Elizabeth	W. Sneijder (2)
	Semi-finals		3–2	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Cape Town	G. van Bronckhorst, W. Sneijder, A. Robben
	Final			align=center bgcolor="#ffbbbb"	L	Johannesburg
2014	Group B		5–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Salvador	R. van Persie (2), A. Robben (2), S. de Vrij
			3–2	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Porto Alegre	A. Robben, R. van Persie, M. Depay
			2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	São Paulo	L. Fer, M. Depay
	Round of 16		2–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Fortaleza	W. Sneijder, K. Huntelaar
	Quarter-finals		0–0	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Salvador
	Semi-finals		0–0	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	São Paulo
	Third place play-off		3–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Brasília	R. van Persie, D. Blind, G. Wijnaldum
2022	Group A		2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Doha	C. Gakpo, D. Klaassen
			1–1	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Al Rayyan	C. Gakpo
			2–0	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Al Khor	C. Gakpo, F. de Jong
	Round of 16		3–1	align=center bgcolor="#bbffbb"	W	Al Rayyan	M. Depay, D. Blind, D. Dumfries
	Quarter-finals		2–2	align=center bgcolor="#ffffbb"	D	Lusail	W. Weghorst (2)

Record by opponent

FIFA World Cup matches (by team)
Opponent	Total	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals Scored	Goals Conceded
	6	2	3	1	9	6
	5	3	1	1	10	5
	3	0	1	2	4	6
	2	0	1	1	0	1
	2	1	1	0	4	3
	2	1	1	0	3	1
	2	1	0	1	5	2
	2	2	0	0	5	2
	1	1	0	0	3	2
	1	1	0	0	5	1
	1	1	0	0	4	1
	1	1	0	0	2	1
	1	1	0	0	2	0
	1	0	1	0	0	0
	1	0	0	1	1	2
	1	0	0	1	0	3
	1	1	0	0	2	0
	1	1	0	0	2	0
	1	0	1	0	0	0
	1	0	1	0	1	1
	1	0	1	0	1	1
	1	1	0	0	2	1
	1	1	0	0	3	0
	1	1	0	0	2	1
	1	1	0	0	2	1
	1	1	0	0	1	0
	1	1	0	0	2	1
	1	0	1	0	0	0
	1	0	0	1	0	1
	1	1	0	0	2	0
	1	1	0	0	2	1
	1	0	0	1	2	3
	1	1	0	0	2	0
	1	1	0	0	1	0
	1	1	0	0	2	1
	1	1	0	0	5	0
	1	0	1	0	0	0
	1	0	0	1	2	3
	1	1	0	0	3	1

Participations

West Germany 1974

width=165	Team	width=20		width=20		width=20		width=20	width=20	width=20	width=20	width=20
	3	2	1	0	6	1	+5	5
	3	1	2	0	3	0	+3	4
	3	0	2	1	2	5	-3	2
	3	0	1	2	1	6	-5	1

--------

Round 2

width=165	Team	width=20		width=20		width=20		width=20	width=20	width=20	width=20	width=20
	3	3	0	0	8	0	+8	6
	3	2	0	1	3	3	0	4
	3	0	1	2	1	4	-3	1
	3	0	1	2	2	7	-5	1

--------

Final

See main article: 1974 FIFA World Cup Final.

Argentina 1978

width=165	Team	width=20		width=20		width=20		width=20	width=20	width=20	width=20	width=20
	3	2	1	0	7	2	+5	5
	3	1	1	1	5	3	+2	3
	3	1	1	1	5	6	-1	3
	3	0	1	2	2	8	-6	1

--------

Round 2

width=165	Team	width=20		width=20		width=20		width=20	width=20	width=20	width=20	width=20
	3	2	1	0	9	4	+5	5
	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	3
	3	0	2	1	4	5	-1	2
	3	1	0	2	4	8	-4	2

--------

Final

See main article: 1978 FIFA World Cup Final.

Italy 1990


3	1	2	0	2	1	+1	4
3	0	3	0	2	2	0	3
3	0	3	0	2	2	0	3
3	0	2	1	1	2	-1	2

--------

Round of 16

United States 1994

Group stage

See main article: 1994 FIFA World Cup Group F.

--------

Knockout stage

See main article: 1994 FIFA World Cup knockout stage.

Round of 16

Quarter-finals

France 1998

Group stage

See main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup Group E.

--------

Knockout stage

See main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup knockout stage.

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinal

Third place match

Germany 2006

See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Group stage

See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup Group C.

--------

Knockout stage

See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup knockout stage.

Round of 16

South Africa 2010

See main article: 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Group stage

See main article: 2010 FIFA World Cup Group E.

--------

Knockout stage

See main article: 2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage.

Round of 16

Quarter-finals

Semi-final

Final

See main article: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final.

Brazil 2014

See main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Netherlands used all 23 players during the 2014 World Cup, making it the first team in World Cup history to ever use all of its squad players.^[1] The team avenged their 2010 loss to Spain by defeating the defending champions with a stunning 5–1 victory in their opening game. They went on to achieve their first third place in any World Cup.

Group stage

See main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup Group B.

Group winner advance to play runner-up of Group A in the round of 16
Group runner-up advance to play winner of Group A in the round of 16

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Iker Casillas (c)
RB	22	César Azpilicueta
CB	3	Gerard Piqué
CB	15	Sergio Ramos
LB	18	Jordi Alba
RM	8	Xavi
CM	16	Sergio Busquets
LM	14
RW	21
LW	6	Andrés Iniesta
CF	19
Substitutions:
FW	9
FW	11
MF	10
Manager:
Vicente del Bosque

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Jasper Cillessen
RB	2	Ron Vlaar
CB	3
LB	4	Bruno Martins Indi
RWB	7	Daryl Janmaat
LWB	5	Daley Blind
CM	6	Nigel de Jong
CM	8
AM	10	Wesley Sneijder
CF	9	Robin van Persie (c)
CF	11	Arjen Robben
Substitutions:
MF	20
DF	13
FW	17
Manager:
Louis van Gaal

Man of the Match:
Robin van Persie (Netherlands)

Assistant referees

Renato Faverani (Italy)
Andrea Stefani (Italy)
Fourth official

Svein Oddvar Moen (Norway)
Fifth official

Kim Thomas Haglund (Norway)

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Mathew Ryan
RB	19	Ryan McGowan
CB	22	Alex Wilkinson
CB	6	Matthew Špiranović
LB	3	Jason Davidson
CM	15	Mile Jedinak (c)
CM	17	Matt McKay
RW	7	Mathew Leckie
AM	23
LW	11
CF	4
Substitutions:
MF	13
MF	10
FW	9
Manager:
Ange Postecoglou

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Jasper Cillessen
RB	2	Ron Vlaar
CB	3	Stefan de Vrij
LB	4
RM	7	Daryl Janmaat
CM	8
CM	6	Nigel de Jong
LM	5	Daley Blind
AM	10	Wesley Sneijder
CF	9	Robin van Persie (c)
CF	11	Arjen Robben
Substitutions:
MF	21
MF	20
FW	17
Manager:
Louis van Gaal

Man of the Match:
Arjen Robben (Netherlands)

Assistant referees

Abdelhak Etchiali (Algeria)
Redouane Achik (Morocco)
Fourth official

Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
Fifth official

Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Jasper Cillessen
RB	7	Daryl Janmaat
CB	2	Ron Vlaar
CB	3	Stefan de Vrij
LB	5
RM	20	Georginio Wijnaldum
CM	6	Nigel de Jong
LM	15
AM	10
CF	11	Arjen Robben (c)
CF	17
Substitutions:
MF	21
MF	18
DF	14
Manager:
Louis van Gaal

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Claudio Bravo (c)
CB	17	Gary Medel
CB	5
CB	18	Gonzalo Jara
RWB	4	Mauricio Isla
LWB	2	Eugenio Mena
CM	20	Charles Aránguiz
CM	21	Marcelo Díaz
AM	16
CF	7	Alexis Sánchez
CF	11
Substitutions:
MF	15
MF	10
FW	9
Manager:
Jorge Sampaoli

Man of the Match:
Arjen Robben (Netherlands)

Assistant referees

Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)
Felicien Kabanda (Rwanda)
Fourth official

Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)
Fifth official

William Torres (El Salvador)

Knockout stage

See main article: 2014 FIFA World Cup knockout stage.

Round of 16

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Jasper Cillessen
RB	12
CB	2	Ron Vlaar
CB	3	Stefan de Vrij
LB	5	Daley Blind
CM	15	Dirk Kuyt
CM	6
CM	20	Georginio Wijnaldum
AM	10	Wesley Sneijder
CF	11	Arjen Robben
CF	9	Robin van Persie (c)
Substitutions:
DF	4
MF	21
FW	19
Manager:
Louis van Gaal

width=25	!	width=25
GK	13	Guillermo Ochoa
CB	2	Francisco Javier Rodríguez
CB	4	Rafael Márquez (c)
CB	15
RWB	22
LWB	7	Miguel Layún
CM	6	Héctor Herrera
CM	3	Carlos Salcido
CM	18
CF	10
CF	19
Substitutes:
DF	5
MF	20
FW	14
Manager:
Miguel Herrera

Man of the Match:
Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico)

Assistant referees

Bertino Cunha (Portugal)
Tiago Trigo (Portugal)
Fourth official

Carlos Vera (Ecuador)
Fifth official

Byron Romero (Ecuador)

Quarter-final

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1
CB	3	Stefan de Vrij
CB	2	Ron Vlaar
CB	4
RWB	15	Dirk Kuyt
LWB	5	Daley Blind
CM	20	Georginio Wijnaldum
CM	10	Wesley Sneijder
RW	11	Arjen Robben
LW	21
CF	9	Robin van Persie (c)
Substitutions:
MF	17
FW	19
GK	23
Manager:
Louis van Gaal

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Keylor Navas
CB	2
CB	3
CB	4
RWB	16
LWB	15
CM	17
CM	5	Celso Borges
RW	10	Bryan Ruiz (c)
LW	7	Christian Bolaños
CF	9
Substitutes:
FW	21
DF	8
MF	22
Manager:
Jorge Luis Pinto

Man of the Match:
Keylor Navas (Costa Rica)

Assistant referees

Abdukhamidullo Rasulov (Uzbekistan)
Bahadyr Kochkarov (Kyrgyzstan)
Fourth official

Noumandiez Doué (Ivory Coast)
Fifth official

Songuifolo Yeo (Ivory Coast)

Semi final

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Jasper Cillessen
CB	3	Stefan de Vrij
CB	2	Ron Vlaar
CB	4
RWB	15	Dirk Kuyt
LWB	5	Daley Blind
CM	6
CM	20	Georginio Wijnaldum
AM	10	Wesley Sneijder
CF	11	Arjen Robben
CF	9	Robin van Persie (c)
Substitutions:
DF	7
MF	16
FW	19
Manager:
Louis van Gaal

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1	Sergio Romero
RB	4	Pablo Zabaleta
CB	15
CB	2	Ezequiel Garay
LB	16	Marcos Rojo
CM	6	Lucas Biglia
CM	14	Javier Mascherano
CM	8
SS	10	Lionel Messi (c)
CF	9
CF	22
Substitutes:
FW	18
FW	20
MF	11
Manager:
Alejandro Sabella

Man of the Match:
Sergio Romero (Argentina)

Assistant referees

Bahattin Duran (Turkey)
Tarık Ongun (Turkey)
Fourth official

Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Fifth official

Mathias Klasenius (Sweden)

Third place match

width=25	!	width=25
GK	12	Júlio César
RB	23	Maicon
CB	3	Thiago Silva (c)
CB	4	David Luiz
LB	14	Maxwell
CM	8
CM	17
RW	16
AM	11
LW	19	Willian
CF	21	Jô
Substitutes:
MF	5
MF	18
FW	7
Manager:
Luiz Felipe Scolari

width=25	!	width=25
GK	1
CB	3	Stefan de Vrij
CB	2	Ron Vlaar
CB	4	Bruno Martins Indi
RWB	15	Dirk Kuyt
LWB	5
CM	20	Georginio Wijnaldum
CM	16
CM	8
CF	9	Robin van Persie (c)
CF	11
Substitutes:
DF	7
DF	13
GK	22
Manager:
Louis van Gaal

Man of the Match:
Arjen Robben (Netherlands)

Assistant referees

Rédouane Achik (Morocco)
Abdelhalk Etchiali (Algeria)
Fourth official

Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)
Fifth official

Toru Sagara (Japan)

Qatar 2022

See main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Group stage

See main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup Group A.

--------

Knockout stage

See main article: 2022 FIFA World Cup knockout stage.

Round of 16

Quarter-finals

Record players

Rank	Player	Matches	World Cups
1	Wesley Sneijder	17	2006, 2010 and 2014
2	Robin van Persie	16	2006, 2010 and 2014
3	Wim Jansen	14	1974 and 1978
Ruud Krol	14	1974 and 1978
Dirk Kuyt	14	2006, 2010 and 2014
Johnny Rep	14	1974 and 1978
Arjen Robben	14	2006, 2010 and 2014
8	Arie Haan	13	1974 and 1978
Rob Rensenbrink	13	1974 and 1978
10	Dennis Bergkamp	12	1994 and 1998
Jan Jongbloed	12	1974 and 1978
Johan Neeskens	12	1974 and 1978

Top goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	World Cups
1	Johnny Rep	7	1974 (4) and 1978 (3)
2	Rob Rensenbrink	6	1974 (1) and 1978 (5)
Dennis Bergkamp	6	1994 (3) and 1998 (3)
Arjen Robben	6	2006 (1), 2010 (2) and 2014 (3)
Robin van Persie	6	2006 (1), 2010 (1) and 2014 (4)
Wesley Sneijder	6	2010 (5) and 2014 (1)
7	Johan Neeskens	5	1974
8	Johan Cruyff	3	1974
Memphis Depay	3	2014 (2) and 2022 (1)
Cody Gakpo	3	2022

External links

Notes and References

https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/7/13/5895081/world-cup-2014-results-reaction-and-analysis-brazil-suffer-again-as 3 Michel Vorm And Two Minutes Of Glory

Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup explained

Record at the FIFA World Cup

By match

Record by opponent

Participations

West Germany 1974

Round 2

Final

Argentina 1978

Round 2

Final

Italy 1990

Round of 16

United States 1994

Group stage

Knockout stage

France 1998

Group stage

Knockout stage

Germany 2006

Group stage

Knockout stage

South Africa 2010

Group stage

Knockout stage

Brazil 2014

Group stage

Knockout stage

Qatar 2022

Group stage

Knockout stage

Record players

Top goalscorers

See also

External links

Notes and References