![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/78/Netherlands_national_football_team_logo.svg/640px-Netherlands_national_football_team_logo.svg.png&w=640&q=50)
Netherlands national football team
Men's association football team / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Netherlands national football team?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The Netherlands national football team (Dutch: Nederlands voetbalelftal or simply Het Nederlands elftal) has represented the Netherlands in international men's football matches since 1905. The men's national team is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), the governing body for football in the Netherlands, which is a part of UEFA, under the jurisdiction of FIFA. Most of the Netherlands home matches are played at the Johan Cruyff Arena, De Kuip, Philips Stadion, and De Grolsch Veste.
![]() | |||
Nickname(s) | Oranje Holland Clockwork Orange The Flying Dutchmen[1] | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond (KNVB) | ||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Ronald Koeman | ||
Captain | Virgil van Dijk | ||
Most caps | Wesley Sneijder (134) | ||
Top scorer | Robin van Persie (50) | ||
Home stadium | Johan Cruyff Arena De Kuip Philips Stadion De Grolsch Veste | ||
FIFA code | NED | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 7 ![]() | ||
Highest | 1[3] (August 2011) | ||
Lowest | 36[4] (August 2017) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Antwerp, Belgium; 30 April 1905) | |||
Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Eindhoven, Netherlands; 2 September 2011) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Darlington, England; 21 December 1907)[upper-alpha 1] | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 11 (first in 1934) | ||
Best result | Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010) | ||
European Championship | |||
Appearances | 11 (first in 1976) | ||
Best result | Champions (1988) | ||
Nations League Finals | |||
Appearances | 2 (first in 2019) | ||
Best result | Runners-up (2019) | ||
Website | onsoranje.nl (in Dutch) |
The team is colloquially referred to as Het Nederlands Elftal (The Dutch Eleven) or Oranje, after the House of Orange-Nassau and their distinctive orange jerseys. Informally the team, like the country itself, was referred to as Holland. The fan club is known as Het Oranje Legioen (The Orange Legion).[5]
The Netherlands has competed in eleven FIFA World Cups, appearing in the final three times (in 1974, 1978 and 2010). They finished runners-up on all three occasions. They have also appeared in eleven UEFA European Championships, winning the 1988 tournament in West Germany. Additionally, the team won a bronze medal at the Olympic football tournament in 1908, 1912 and 1920. The Netherlands has long-standing football rivalries with neighbours Belgium and Germany.
The Netherlands teams of 1974, 1988 and 1998 have been described as the greatest national teams of their respective generations,[6][7][8][9] and the Netherlands are often regarded as the best team that has never won the World Cup.[10][11][12][13][14]