Netherlands national football team records and statistics explained

This page details Netherlands men's national football team records; the most capped players, the players with the most goals, Netherlands' match record by opponent and decade.

Honours

Major tournaments

• FIFA World Cup:
  • Runners-up (3): 1974, 1978, 2010
  • Third place (1): 2014
  • Fourth place (1): 1998
• UEFA European Championship:
  • Winners (1): 1988
  • Third place (1): 1976
  • Semi-finals (4): 1992, 2000, 2004, 2024
• UEFA Nations League:
  • Runners-up (1): 2019
  • Fourth place (1): 2023
• Olympic football tournament:

• Bronze medal/Third place (3): 1908, 1912, 1920

• Fourth place (1): 1924

Friendly tournaments

• Olympic Football Consolation Tournament
  • Winners: 1928
• Tournoi de Paris
  • Winners: 1978
• 75th Anniversary FIFA Cup
  • Runners-up: 1979
• World Champions' Gold Cup
  • Fourth Place: 1980
• Copa Confraternidad
  • Runners-up: 2011

Individual records

Player records

Most-capped players

Rank	Player	National career	Matches	Goals	Minutes	Total career
1	Wesley Sneijder		134	31	9,811
2	Edwin van der Sar	1995–2008	130	0	11,463	1990–2011
3	Frank de Boer	1990–2004	112	13	9,271	1988–2005
4	Rafael van der Vaart	2001–2013	109	25	6,938	2000–2018
5	Daley Blind	2013–2024	108	3	9,032	2008–
6	Giovanni van Bronckhorst	1996–2010	106	6	8,215	1993–2010
7	Dirk Kuyt	2004–2014	104	24	6,875	1998–2017
8	Robin van Persie	2005–2017	102	50	7,317	2001–2019
9	Phillip Cocu	1996–2006	101	10	8,001	1988–2006
10	Memphis Depay	2013–	98	46	7,349	2011–

Last updated: 10 July 2024
Source:http://www.voetbalstats.nl/caps.php voetbalstats.nl]

Past most-capped record holders

Feyenoord legend Puck van Heel has held the record the longest for 42 years.

Rank	Player	Period record held	Caps record established	Date record established	National career	Matches	Goals
1	Ben Stom		5	1 April 1907		9	0
2	Reinier Beeuwkes		13	12 April 1909		19	0
3	Bok de Korver		20	2 April 1911		31	2
4	Harry Dénis		32	25 October 1925		56	0
5	Puck van Heel		57	2 May 1937		64	0
6	Ruud Krol		65	22 May 1979		83	4
7	Aron Winter		84	29 June 2000		84	6
8	Frank de Boer		85	25 November 2000		112	13
9	Edwin van der Sar		113	25 June 2006		130	0
10	Wesley Sneijder	2017–	131	9 June 2017		134	31

Last updated: 1 April 2024
Source: https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/sneijder-in-iconisch-rijtje-met-stom-van-heel-krol-en-winter.

Top goalscorers

Rank	Player	National career	Goals	Matches	Average	Minutes	Total career
1	Robin van Persie		50	102	0.49	7,317
2	Memphis Depay	2013–	46	98	0.47	7,349	2011–
3	Klaas-Jan Huntelaar	2006–2015	42	76	0.55	4,399	2002–2021
4	Patrick Kluivert	1994–2004	40	79	0.51	5,816	1994–2008
5	Dennis Bergkamp	1990–2000	37	79	0.47	6,339	1986–2006
	Arjen Robben	2003–2017		96	0.39	7,394	2000–2021
7	Faas Wilkes	1946–1961	35	38	0.92	3,450	1940–1964
	Ruud van Nistelrooy	1998–2011		70	0.50	4,543	1993–2012
9	Abe Lenstra	1940–1959	33	47	0.70	4,260	1935–1963
	Johan Cruyff	1966–1977		48	0.69	4,282	1964–1984

Last updated: 10 July 2024
Source: voetbalstats.nl

Record holding top goalscorers

Eddy de Neve is the Netherlands first topscorer with 3 caps and 6 goals. To date he still holds the highest goal average, among top scorers.

Rank	Player	Period record held	Goals record established	Date record established	National career	Goals	Matches	Average
1	Eddy de Neve		5	14 May 1905		6	3	2.00
2	Edu Snethlage		7	21 March 1909		10	11	0.91
3	Jan Thomée		11	16 October 1910		16	16	1.00
4	Mannes Francken		17	9 March 1913		17	22	0.77
5	Beb Bakhuys		18	3 November 1935		28	23	1.22
6	Abe Lenstra		29	23 April 1958		33	47	0.70
7	Faas Wilkes		34	4 November 1959		35	38	0.92
8	Dennis Bergkamp		36	4 July 1998		37	79	0.47
9	Patrick Kluivert		38	7 June 2003		40	79	0.51
10	Robin van Persie		41	11 October 2013		50	112	0.45

Last updated: 2 April 2024
Source: https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/tijdbalk-oranjetopscorers-de-neve-tot-kluivert

Hat-tricks

See main article: article and List of Netherlands national football team hat-tricks. Robin van Persie scored four goals for the Dutch national side during their 11–0 win over minnows San Marino on 2 September 2011. He scored three goals in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Hungary on 11 October 2013.

Rank	Player	National career	Matches	Hat-tricks	Total career
1	Mannes Francken		22	3
	Beb Bakhuys	1928–1937	23		1925–1939
	John Bosman	1986–1997	30		1983–2002
	Faas Wilkes	1946–1961	38		1945–1964
5	Noud van Melis	1950–1957	13	2	1950–1957
	Wim Lagendaal	1930–1935	15		1930–1935
	Tonny van der Linden	1957–1963	24		1957–1963
	Rob Rensenbrink	1968–1979	46		1965–1982
	Marco van Basten	1983–1992	58		1981–1995
	Patrick Kluivert	1994–2004	79		1994–2008
	Robin van Persie	2005–2017	102		2001–2019
12	align=center colspan=3	25 players	1

Last updated: 7 June 2024
Source: voetbalstats.nl

Age records

• Oldest player to make debut: Sander Boschker, aged 39 years and 256 days vs, 1 June 2010
• Youngest player to make debut: Jan van Breda Kolff, aged 17 years and 74 days vs, 2 April 1911 RSSSF
• Oldest player to score: Abe Lenstra, aged 38 years and 143 days http://www.supporterscluboranje.nl/Pages/SCO/Club/Geschiedenis/Feiten_Oranje.asp vs, 19 April 1959
• Youngest player to score: Jan van Breda Kolff, aged 17 years and 74 days vs, 2 April 1911

Progression of the Netherlands association football goalscoring record

This is a progressive list of association footballers who have held or co-held the record for international goals for the Netherlands national football team.

For the early decades, records of players appearances and goals were often considered unreliable. RSSSF and IFFHS have spent much effort trying to produce definitive lists of full international matches, and corresponding data on players' international caps and goals. Using this data, the following records can be retrospectively produced. Note that, at the time, these records may not have been recognised.

Player	Goals	Date	Opponent	Score	Notes
	4			4–1	De Neve scored four times in this game ^[1]
	5			4–0	^[2]
	6			5–3	Snethlage scored twice in this game ^[3]
	7			4–1	^[4]
	10			4–1	Snethlage scored three times in this game ^[5]
	11			5–5	Francken scored twice in this game ^[6]
	14			4–3	Francken scored three times in this game ^[7]
	16			3–2	Francken scored twice in this game ^[8]
	17			3–3	^[9]
	17			1–1	^[10]
	17			2–0	^[11]
	18			3–0	^[12]
	19			5–3	^[13]
	22			6–1	Bakhuys scored three times in this game^[14]
	25			8–0	Bakhuys scored three times in this game^[15]
	26			1–1	^[16]
	27			3–3	^[17]
	28			2–1	^[18]
	28			7–2	Lenstra scored twice in this game^[19]
	28			8–1	Wilkes scored twice in this game^[20]
	30			8–1	Lenstra scored twice in this game^[21]
	32			5–1	Lenstra scored twice in this game^[22]
	33			2–2	^[23]
	34			7–1	Wilkes scored twice in this game^[24]
	35			1–2	^[25]
	35			2–1
	36			2–1
	37			2–2
	37			1–1
	38			2–0
	39			3–1
	40			5–0
	41			8–1	Van Persie scored three times in this game
	42			1–1
	43			1–0
	45			5–1	Van Persie scored twice in this game
	46			3–2
	47			3–0
	48			3–1
	49			6–0
	50			2–3

Manager records

Team records

Tournament records

See also: Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup and Netherlands at the UEFA European Championship.

• The 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.^[26]
• World Cup appearances: 11 (most recent in 2022)
• Most successful World Cup appearance: Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)
• European Championship appearances: 11 (most recent in 2024)
• Most successful European Championship appearance: Winners (1988)
• Summer Olympics appearances: 8 (most recent in 2008)
• Most successful Olympics appearance: Third place (1908, 1912, 1920)

Match records

Firsts

• First match: 1–4 (Antwerp, Belgium; 30 April 1905)
• First World Cup finals match: 3–2 (Milan, Italy; 27 May 1934)
• First European Championship finals match: 1–3 (Zagreb, Yugoslavia; 16 June 1976)

Record results

• Biggest win:
  • 11–0 (Eindhoven, Netherlands; 2 September 2011)
• Biggest loss:
  • England AM. 12–2 (Darlington, England; 21 December 1907)

Head-to-head records

^[27]

• Draws include penalty shoot-outs.

Opponent	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	GD	%	Last Match
	4	4	0	0	7	1	+6	100%	2007/09/12
	6	6	0	0	21	0	+21	100%	2013/09/10
	10	4	5	1	15	8	+7	65%	2022/12/09
	2	2	0	0	3	0	+3	100%	2005/09/03
	4	1	2	1	5	5	0	50%	2014/06/18
	21	10	4	7	40	27	+13	57.1%	2024/06/25
	10	8	0	2	23	6	+17	80%	2019/10/13
	129	57	31	41	285	221	+64	56.2%	2022/09/25
	2	1	1	0	3	1	+2	62.5%	2020/11/15
	12	4	5	3	18	15	+3	54.2%	2014/07/12
	12	5	2	5	20	17	+3	50%	2017/09/03
	3	2	1	0	3	1	+2	83.3%	2010/06/24
	2	2	0	0	7	0	+7	100%	2024/06/06
	2	1	1	0	4	2	+2	62.5%	2014/06/23
	2	2	0	0	4	0	+4	100%	2013/06/11
	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	50%	2013/11/19
	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	50%	2014/07/05
	3	1	0	2	6	6	0	33.3%	2023/06/14
	3	2	1	0	16	1	+15	83.3%	1958/04/23
	9	9	0	0	34	1	+33	100%	2001/04/25
	22	6	4	12	30	36	−6	36.4%	2021/06/27
	32	13	10	9	63	45	+18	56.3%	2022/03/26
	9	6	1	2	17	10	+7	72.2%	1986/03/12
	3	1	2	0	3	2	+1	66.7%	2022/11/25
	2	0	1	1	1	2	−1	25%	1990/06/12
	33	9	10	14	40	76	−36	42.5%	2024/07/10
	6	5	1	0	23	4	+19	91.7%	2019/11/19
	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100%	2004/06/01
	14	11	2	1	43	14	+29	85.7%	2011/09/06
	31	11	5	15	57	53	+4	43.5%	2024/06/21
	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100%	2021/06/06
	46	12	17	17	77	87	−10	44.6%	2024/03/26
	3	2	1	0	5	1	+4	83.3%	2014/05/31
	4	4	0	0	22	0	+22	100%	2023/11/21
	2	0	0	2	3	8	−5	0%	1948/07/31
	11	9	1	1	24	3	+21	86.4%	2023/10/16
	17	10	2	5	51	29	+22	64.7%	2013/10/11
	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100%	2013/06/07
	13	10	1	2	37	7	+30	80.8%	2024/06/10
	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100%	1978/06/03
	4	4	0	0	6	1	+5	100%	1989/01/04
	2	2	0	0	7	1	+6	100%	2017/06/04
	24	3	10	11	24	33	−9	33.3%	2023/06/17
	3	2	1	0	6	2	+4	83.3%	2013/11/16
	2	2	0	0	5	2	+3	100%	2015/10/10
	5	5	0	0	14	0	+14	100%	2021/10/08
	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100%	2004/09/03
	18	15	1	2	67	14	+53	86.1%	2017/06/09
	5	3	2	0	11	3	+8	80%	2021/06/21
	6	6	0	0	28	0	+28	100%	1995/10/11
	9	4	1	4	15	16	-1	50%	2020/10/07
	4	4	0	0	9	1	+8	100%	2011/10/07
	2	1	1	0	6	2	+4	62.5%	2021/11/13
	3	2	0	1	5	4	+1	66.7%	2017/05/31
	1	1	0	0	5	1	+4	100%	1998/06/05
	8	4	3	1	17	5	+12	68.8%	2019/11/16
	22	10	7	5	47	28	+19	61.4%	2021/11/16
	2	1	1	0	5	1	+4	62.5%	2009/11/18
	4	3	1	0	7	1	+6	87.5%	2018/09/06
	20	10	7	3	30	20	+10	67.5%	2024/06/16
	14	2	4	8	10	16	−6	28.6%	2019/06/09
	24	13	4	7	43	30	+13	62.5%	2023/11/18
	15	11	3	1	32	3	+29	83.3%	2024/07/02
	10	4	3	3	14	9	+5	55%	2008/08/20
	2	2	0	0	5	3	+2	100%	1956/06/06
	6	6	0	0	39	0	+39	100%	2011/09/02
	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100%	1994/06/20
	20	10	5	5	32	15	+17	62.5%	2024/03/22
	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100%	2022/11/21
	10	6	1	3	18	12	+6	65%	2006/06/11
	13	5	2	6	21	20	+1	46.2%	2018/05/31
	2	2	0	0	3	0	+3	100%	2007/10/17
	2	2	0	0	4	1	+3	100%	1997/06/04
	2	2	0	0	7	0	+7	100%	2007/06/02
	13	6	2	5	19	18	+1	53.8%	2020/11/11
	1	1	0	0	4	3	+1	100%	1960/07/03
	25	11	6	8	47	48	−1	56%	2017/10/10
	33	15	3	15	68	61	+7	50%	2011/11/11
	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2	100%	2007/06/06
	3	1	2	0	7	3	+4	66.7%	2009/02/11
	15	7	4	4	23	15	+7	60%	2024/07/06
	3	2	1	0	7	3	+4	83.3%	2021/06/13
	6	2	1	3	7	9	−2	41.7%	2011/06/08
	6	5	0	1	13	6	+7	83.3%	2022/12/03
	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100%	2022/11/29
	10	10	0	0	29	8	+21	100%	2022/06/14
	9	5	1	3	17	12	+5	61.1%	2000/06/25
Total	882	451	190	241	1,816	1,119	+697	61.9%

Rankings

FIFA

• Highest FIFA Rank: 1 (August 2011)
• Lowest FIFA Rank: 32 (April 2017)
• FIFA Team of the Year First place: 1

2000

• FIFA Team of the Year Third place: 3

2005, 2008, 2009

Elo

• Highest Elo ranking: 1
  (June 1978, June 1988 – June 1990, June–September 1992, June 2002, June–September 2003, October 2005, June 2008, July 2010, June 2014)
• Lowest Elo Ranking: 56 (October 1954)

Notes and References

1. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4478 International football MATCH report: 30 April 1905 Belgium vs Netherlands
2. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4485 International football MATCH report: 15 May 1905 Netherlands vs Belgium
3. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4528 International football MATCH report: 25 October 1908 Netherlands vs Sweden
4. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4573 International football MATCH report: 21 March 1909 Belgium vs Netherlands
5. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4559 International football MATCH report: 25 April 1909 Netherlands vs Belgium
6. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4674 International football MATCH report: 24 March 1912 Netherlands vs Germany
7. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4684 International football MATCH report: 28 April 1912 Netherlands vs Belgium
8. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4658 International football MATCH report: 17 November 1912 Germany vs Netherlands
9. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4716 International football MATCH report: 09.03.0913 Belgium vs Netherlands
10. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5543 International football MATCH report: 26 April 1931 Netherlands vs Germany
11. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5898 International football MATCH report: 12 May 1935 Belgium vs Netherlands
12. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5840 International football MATCH report: 3 November 1935 Netherlands vs Denmark
13. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5848 International football MATCH report: 8 December 1935 Irish Free State vs Netherlands
14. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5968 International football MATCH report: 12 January 1936 France vs Netherlands
15. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5957 International football MATCH report: 29 March 1936 Netherlands vs Belgium
16. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5958 International football MATCH report: 3 May 1936 Belgium vs Netherlands
17. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5949 International football MATCH report: 1 November 1936 Netherlands vs Norway
18. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=6050 International football MATCH report: 07.03.0937 Netherlands vs Switzerland
19. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=14887 International football MATCH report: 13 April 1958 Belgium vs Netherlands
20. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=14893 International football MATCH report: 23 April 1958 Netherlands vs Netherlands Antilles
21. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=14893 International football MATCH report: 23 April 1958 Netherlands vs Netherlands Antilles
22. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=14973 International football MATCH report: 15 October 1958 Netherlands vs Denmark
23. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=15003 International football MATCH report: 19 April 1959 Netherlands vs Belgium
24. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=15073 International football MATCH report: 4 November 1959 Netherlands vs Norway
25. http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=13106 International football MATCH report: 19 April 1961 Netherlands vs Mexico
26. 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
27. Web site: World Football Elo Ratings: Netherlands. Elo Ratings. 19 August 2017.