The story and results of the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

[p]Fans of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]the Netherlands[/a] were longing for some FIFA World Cup history: [i]Oranje[/i] started the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the most successful nation to never win the tournament. The three-time finalists arrived in Canada, Mexico, and the United States with stars such as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-jong-frenkie/A1F3rz9c/"]Frenkie de Jong[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dumfries-denzel/QR0j1ejk/"]Denzel Dumfries[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gravenberch-ryan/Y5aFd8V4/"]Ryan Gravenberch[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a], hoping this would finally be their year.[/p][p]Manager [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koeman-ronald/vHeYAvb2/"]Ronald Koeman[/a] arrived at his first FIFA World Cup as the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a]' second-longest-serving manager, with 60 games behind his name. Only Bob Glendenning managed more Netherlands games, with the Englishman standing on the sidelines for 87 games between 1923 and 1940.[/p][p]The recipe for success was there, with the Netherlands starting their tournament with most of their biggest stars fit to play. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simons-xavi/noo0L9zk/"]Xavi Simons[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-ligt-matthijs/hhRKVBXN/"]Matthijs de Ligt[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schouten-jerdy/lYVHp6x4/"]Jerdy Schouten[/a] missed out on the World Cup due to injuries.[/p][image alt="The Netherlands' team photo ahead of their FIFA World Cup match against Sweden on June 20th, 2026" id="43e2df97-c29f-435b-9fac-b85e8e386582" credit-line="Photo by STEFAN KOOPS / NURPHOTO / NURPHOTO VIA AFP" guid="17dd5dd7-ac41-4920-b185-c79801b88065" original-width="5315" original-height="3543" /][h2]The Netherlands’ World Cup 2026 group stage results[/h2][p]During the FIFA World Cup draw in December 2025, the Netherlands were drawn into [b]Group F [/b]with [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sweden/OQyqbHWB/"]Sweden[/a][/b].[/p][p]Prior to the FIFA World Cup, the Netherlands ran a questionable warm-up run with a 1-0 loss to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/algeria/nc87N1BR/"]Algeria[/a] in Rotterdam and a tight 2-1 win over debutants [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uzbekistan/EZYKKRMc/"]Uzbekistan[/a], who were beaten by two Cody Gakpo penalties.[/p][p]In their first World Cup games, Virgil van Dijk and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/summerville-crysencio/EaRET7t6/"]Crysencio Summerville[/a] made the country explode, but Oranje just fell short in the end as [b]Japan[/b] snatched a point from the Dutch grip in the 89th minute.[/p][p]Following the draw, the Netherlands produced one of the standout performances of the World Cup, sweeping [b]Sweden[/b] aside [b]5-1 [/b]on June 20th in Houston. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a] and Cody Gakpo scored twice before Summerville sealed the definitive 5-1 routing with a late stoppage-time goal.[/p][p]A routine[b] 3-1 win [/b]over Tunisia was enough for the Netherlands to top Group F, beating second-placed Japan by two points. [/p][p][b]Sunday, June 14th: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/japan-ULXPdOUj/netherlands-WYintcWb/?mid=4SV9xFBO"]The Netherlands [/a][/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/japan-ULXPdOUj/netherlands-WYintcWb/?mid=4SV9xFBO"]- Japan[/a] [b]([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/japan-ULXPdOUj/netherlands-WYintcWb/?mid=4SV9xFBO"]2-2[/a])[/b][/p][p][b]Saturday, June 20th: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=0rAjVxuo"]The Netherlands [/a][/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=0rAjVxuo"]- Sweden[/a] [b]([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/sweden-OQyqbHWB/?mid=0rAjVxuo"]5-1[/a])[/b][/p][p][b]Friday, June 26th:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/tunisia-QqZVYk95/?mid=0lERfdRh"]Tunisia - [b]The Netherlands[/b][/a] [b]([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/tunisia-QqZVYk95/?mid=0lERfdRh"]1-3[/a])[/b][/p][image alt="The Netherlands' Brian Brobbey celebrates scoring against Sweden at the 2026 FIFA World Cup" id="b7cd8d04-5dc0-4037-82cd-80d5690be693" credit-line="Photo by STEFAN KOOPS / NURPHOTO / NURPHOTO VIA AFP" guid="7148b535-53bf-4b98-a2ec-67fce2c56a15" original-width="3971" original-height="2647" /][h2]The Netherlands' World Cup 2026 knockouts results[/h2][p]With their group win, the Netherlands were paired with [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a][/b], who finished second in Group C behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a]. The 2022 semifinalists dominated the first half, as for the first time in the tournament, Ronald Koeman started a game with a 5-man defence. Morocco surprisingly fell behind after 70 minutes when Cody Gakpo scored the opener for Oranje after a lightning-quick counter.[/p][p]Morocco fought for dear life and got what it needed when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diop-issa/Eyqbicqr/"]Issa Diop[/a] headed in an injury-time equaliser that sent the round-of-32 game to extra time. 30 uneventful minutes meant the Netherlands had to overcome a national trauma, with penalties deciding who progressed at the World Cup.[/p][p]Oranje started on the front foot after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koopmeiners-teun/lOCjQkeo/"]Teun Koopmeiners[/a] scored his spot-kick and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/el-aynaoui-neil/f3mqZ2x6/"]Neil El Aynaoui[/a] struck the crossbar, but the win slipped from the Dutch hands as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kluivert-justin/fq4lU5sI/"]Justin Kluivert[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-quinten/Ag97KtSd/"]Quinten Timber[/a], and Crysencio Summerville all failed to convert their penalties. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saibari-ismael/WzSmqNMQ/"]Ismael Saibari[/a], the reigning Eredivisie Player of the Year, struck gold with Morocco's fifth penalty, sending the Atlas Lions to the round of 16.[/p][p]For the third World Cup in a row, the Netherlands were sent home on penalties, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a] toppling the Dutch in 2014 and 2022.[/p][p][b]Monday, June 29th:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/morocco-IDKYO3R8/netherlands-WYintcWb/?mid=S0MygXWj"][b]The Netherlands[/b] - Morocco[/a] ([b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/morocco-IDKYO3R8/netherlands-WYintcWb/?mid=S0MygXWj"]1-1, Morocco win 3-2 on penalties[/a][/b])[/p][image alt="The Netherlands' Quinten Timber misses his penalty against Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup" id="9a345ea2-4cff-448a-8d4f-e1536478fb5f" credit-line="Photo by LUKE HALES / GETTY IMAGES SOUTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP" guid="6f3fca88-357c-402a-9c45-837cc927ea0e" original-width="4854" original-height="3236" /]