NetherlandsGroup F · UEFA · FIFA #7 · Elo 1961
📅 Group F: vs Japan · Sweden · Tunisia
Fuelled by Memphis Depay's all-time record 55 international goals and a generation of Premier League studs, the Netherlands arrive in North America as genuine dark-horse contenders — a 52-year wait since 1974 for a first world title drives everything.
The Netherlands have reached three World Cup finals (1974, 1978, 2010) without ever lifting the trophy — no nation has lost more World Cup finals without winning one.
15 of Koeman's 26-man squad play in the Premier League, making it the most English top-flight-heavy squad at the tournament.
Memphis Depay became the first player from a Brazilian Série A club (Corinthians) ever selected for a European nation at a World Cup.
Jurriën and Quinten Timber are identical twins — following in the footsteps of Frank and Ronald de Boer (1994, 1998) as a twin pair in the Oranje World Cup squad.
The Netherlands qualified for 2026 by topping UEFA Group G with 20 points from 8 games (six wins, two draws), scoring 27 goals and conceding just four.
The 'Cruyff Turn' made its world debut at the 1974 World Cup against Sweden — defender Jan Olsson, the man Cruyff bamboozled, later said being fooled by it was the proudest moment of his career.
In the 1978 final, Rob Rensenbrink's shot struck the post in the last minute with the score 1-1 — the Netherlands were centimetres from finally winning the World Cup before Argentina took it in extra time.
The big number is the player's EA FC 26 (FIFA 26) overall rating; for players not in the game it's estimated from market value & role.
Tip: click any player for full details, or “✨ Get to know Netherlands” up top for trivia & the anthem. OVR = EA FC 26 (FIFA 26) rating; for players not in the game it's estimated from market value.
Japan
Sweden
Tunisia