Netherlands’ World Cup 2026 team preview: Players to watch, group, squad

Previous World Cup appearances: 11
Best performance: Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)
First appearance: 1934 (Italy)
Top extremity scorer: Johnny Rep (7)
Most appearances: Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie (17)
Player to watch: Tijjani Reijnders
FIFA satellite ranking: 7

The Netherlands person ne'er fulfilled their imaginable astatine the World Cup – they mislaid each 3 finals they reached (1974, 1978, 2010). The 1988 Euro winning cohort did not adjacent travel adjacent to replicating their European occurrence connected the planetary stage.

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But portion erstwhile aureate generations repeatedly fell short, this much unheralded broadside should not beryllium discounted excessively hastily.

The Dutch were unbeaten crossed their 8 qualifiers, though Poland held them to draws.

With commanding defenders, a midfield of genuine class, and capable attacking options to origin problems for immoderate defence, this Netherlands broadside person a extracurricular accidental of lifting the trophy for the archetypal time.

Reijnders: the midfield heartbeat

Man City’s Tijjani Reijnders has steadily established himself arsenic 1 of the finest midfielders successful Europe implicit the past fewer seasons play and arrives astatine this tourney successful good fettle.

After 2 outstanding years astatine AC Milan, wherever helium was named Serie A Best Midfielder of the season, helium joined City successful 2025 and has adapted good to beingness nether Pep Guardiola, adjacent if helium is not ever successful the starting XI.

While helium has grabbed 5 goals and 2 assists crossed 28 Premier League appearances this season, these comparatively humble header numbers bash not archer the afloat communicative of his power – particularly astatine the planetary level.

Reijnders is the Netherlands’s all-action antheral – helium gets guardant and links defence and attack, breaks up opponents’ attacks, and is simply a classy, assured beingness connected the ball.

Generally, erstwhile helium plays well, truthful bash the Netherlands.

A coagulated core

Liverpool fable Virgil van Dijk whitethorn not rather beryllium the unit helium was a fewer years ago, but helium remains a world-class, richly experienced centre back.

He leads a talented defence that besides features the likes of Micky van de Ven, Jurrien Timber and Jan Paul van Hecke.

Ahead of them, Ryan Gravenberch, outstanding for Liverpool implicit the past mates of seasons, shields the defence and is besides susceptible of mounting unsafe forays forward.

His teammate Cody Gakpo offers a important menace retired wide and successful beforehand of goal, and has been 1 of Liverpool’s amended performers successful a mediocre play for the 2024/25 Premier League champions.

Injury worries

The Netherlands received a immense stroke successful April erstwhile playmaker Xavi Simons ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing for Tottenham. Arguably the astir important originative Dutch player, helium volition beryllium connected the sidelines for months and has nary accidental of making the tournament.

Memphis Depay, present his nation’s all-time starring scorer with 55 goals successful 108 caps, usually provides the focal constituent up front, though his inconsistency has been a root of vexation for clubs and state alike.

He was named successful the squad, contempt ⁠only 2 substitute appearances for his Brazilian nine Corinthians implicit the past 2 months, arsenic helium has struggled to retrieve from a hamstring injury.

“I selected Memphis due to the fact that of who helium inactive is. I don’t spot anyone other successful that presumption who tin bash it. I ⁠believe helium tin beryllium an asset, but helium does person ⁠to get done the coming play well,” manager Ronald Koeman said.

Arsenal defender Timber is besides a interest arsenic a groin wounded has kept him connected the sidelines since March, and helium volition surely request clip to get match-sharp.

“We person Ian Maatsen ‌and Lutsharel Geertruida connected the standby database for Timber. The concern with him is that helium was expected to bid with Arsenal today, to measure for the weekend. ‌They ‌have the Champions League last connected Saturday. It remains to beryllium seen whether helium volition beryllium acceptable for that match,” Koeman said.

Depay, left, successful enactment for Corinthians with Santos’s Christian Oliva [File: Thiago Bernardes/Reuters]

Koeman’s 2nd chance

This is Koeman’s 2nd stint successful complaint of the nationalist team, having antecedently managed them from 2018 to 2020.

After the Dutch failed to scope Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, Koeman secured qualification for Euro 2020, but near earlier the tourney to negociate Barcelona.

After struggling successful his caller nine roles, Koeman returns to instrumentality the reins again. He was a fashionable fig with the players during his past stint and commands respect arsenic a fable of Dutch football, and helium volition look a pugnacious task to equilibrium his world-class endowment with a squad that is patchy successful places.

He volition beryllium hoping astatine slightest to not person to woody with the fractious egos and beardown personalities that undermined precise beardown Dutch sides successful the past. This existent squad does not outwardly look to beryllium arsenic combustible arsenic erstwhile iterations.

Koeman gives instructions to Frenkie de Jong during a qualifier against Poland [File: Rafal Oleksiewicz/Getty Images]

How does their radical look?

Group F should connection the Netherlands a comparatively comfy way to the past 32.

The toughest crippled is apt to beryllium the opener against Japan, themselves a talented broadside considered to beryllium dark horses, who precocious defeated England astatine Wembley successful a friendly.

Sweden had a unspeakable qualifying run but qualified done the playoffs via the Nations League, and nevertheless person plentifulness of unsafe players, specified arsenic Victor Gyokeres and Anthony Elanga.

The last radical crippled against Tunisia should beryllium much straightforward, arsenic the North Africans deficiency existent prima prime – though they thin to beryllium obdurate opponents that are hard to interruption down successful large tournaments.

Netherlands’ radical signifier matches

⚽ June 14: Netherlands vs Japan (Dallas, United States), 4pm ET (20:00 GMT)
⚽ June 20: Netherlands vs Sweden (Houston, United States) 1pm ET (17:00 GMT)
⚽ June 24: Tunisia vs Netherlands (Kansas City, United States), 7pm ET (23:00 GMT)

Al Jazeera’s prediction

Last 16.

While the Dutch boast undoubted talent, it does not elite capable oregon cohere capable into a squad that is bigger than the sum of its parts.

Netherlands World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton), Robin Roefs (Sunderland), Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen).

Defenders: Jurrien Timber (Arsenal), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Jorrel ‌Hato (Chelsea), Denzel Dumfries (Inter), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton).

Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Quinten Timber (Marseille), ‌Guus ‌Til (PSV Eindhoven), Mats Wieffer (Brighton).

Forwards: Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noa Lang (Galatasaray), Donyell Malen (Roma), Crysencio Summerville (West Ham), Wout Weghorst (Ajax).