The Netherlands have secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, marking their 12th appearance in the tournament. The Oranje confirmed their qualification with a dominant 4-0 victory over Lithuania in the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Monday. This win ensured they finished top of Group G in the UEFA qualifying campaign with an unbeaten record.
The Dutch dominated Group G, which also included Poland, Finland, Lithuania, and Malta. While a draw against Lithuania would have been enough to secure qualification, the Netherlands left no doubt with a commanding performance. Despite being ranked No. 6 in the FIFA rankings, their qualifying journey featured some inconsistent performances, including two draws with Poland and a narrow victory in Lithuania. However, their two Nations League matches against Spain this year demonstrated their ability to compete with top-tier teams. Ultimately, the Netherlands finished with 6 wins and 2 draws in the qualifying round.
In the match against Lithuania, Tijjani Reijnders opened the scoring in the 16th minute, followed by a penalty from Cody Gakpo in the 58th minute. Xavi Simons and Donyell Malen further extended the lead with additional goals. Coach Ronald Koeman made several changes to the starting lineup from the previous game against Poland, with Nathan Aké, Matthijs de Ligt, Tijjani Reijnders, and Xavi Simons all included.
The Netherlands have a rich history in the World Cup, having reached the final three times, in 1974, 1978, and 2010. However, they have yet to win the coveted trophy, losing to West Germany, Argentina, and Spain in those respective finals. The team missed out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia but returned to the global stage in Qatar 2022, where they reached the quarter-finals under Louis van Gaal, losing to Argentina on penalties.
Key players for the Netherlands include captain Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong, and Memphis Depay, who became the nation's leading scorer earlier this year. Other notable players include Micky van de Ven, Jurrien Timber, Nathan Aké, Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders and Xavi Simons.
Germany also qualified for the 2026 World Cup alongside the Netherlands, marking their 21st appearance in 23 editions.
