Netherlands women's national football team

The Netherlands women's national football team (Dutch: Nederlands vrouwenvoetbalelftal) is the women's association football team that represents the European country of the Netherlands. They are managed by the Royal Dutch Football Association and are part of UEFA and FIFA. In 1971, they played their first official match recognized by FIFA against France. The team has taken part in the UEFA Women's Championship three times and became champions in 2017 when they hosted the tournament. They also played in the World Cup twice they qualified for their first FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015 and in 2019, they reached the final but lost 2–0 against the United States. This also meant they could play in the 2020 Olympics, but they were defeated in the quarter-finals. Women's football was not allowed in many countries for a long time, and even when it was allowed, it faced doubts and criticism. However, the Netherlands team gained more fans after their surprising victory in the 2017 European Championship held in their own country. As of 27 March 2015, their FIFA ranking is 12.^[7]

Netherlands

Nickname(s)	Oranje (Orange) Leeuwinnen (Lionesses)[1]
Association	Royal Dutch Football Association (Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Andries Jonker
Captain	Sherida Spitse
Most caps	Sherida Spitse (221)
Top scorer	Vivianne Miedema (95)
FIFA code	NED
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	7 3 (7 December 2018)[2]
Highest	3[2] (July – December 2019; April 2021)
Lowest	20[2] (June – September 2008)
First international
(unofficial)  West Germany 2–1 Netherlands  (Essen, Germany; 23 September 1956)[3][4] (FIFA recognised)  France 4–0 Netherlands  (Hazebrouck, France; 17 April 1971)[5]
Biggest win
Netherlands 12–0 Israel  (Zaandam, Netherlands; 22 August 1977)  Netherlands 13–1 Macedonia  (Zwolle, Netherlands; 29 October 2009)  Netherlands 12–0 Cyprus  (Groningen, Netherlands; 8 April 2022)[6]
Biggest defeat
Sweden 7–0 Netherlands  (Borås, Sweden; 26 September 1981)
World Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 2015)
Best result	Runners-up (2019)
Olympic Games
Appearances	1 (first in 2020)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2020)
European Championship
Appearances	4 (first in 2009)
Best result	Winners (2017)

Tournament record

World Cup

Lieke Martens scored the Netherland's first World Cup goal in 2015.

FIFA Women's World Cup record										Record of Qualifications
Host nation and year	Result	Pos	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1991	Did not qualify									UEFA Euro 1991
1995										UEFA Euro 1995
1999										6	2	1	3	5	10
2003										6	1	1	4	6	16
2007										8	5	0	3	15	7
2011										8	5	2	1	30	7
2015	Round of 16	13th	4	1	1	2	3	4	14	11	2	1	50	9
2019	Runners-up	2nd	7	6	0	1	11	5	12	9	2	1	30	4
2023	Quarter-finals	7th	5	3	1	1	12	3	8	6	2	0	30	3
2027	To be determined									To be determined
Total	3/10		16	10	2	4	26	12	62	39	10	13	166	56

European Championship

UEFA European Women's Championship record										Record of Qualifications
Host nation(s) and year	Result	Pos	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1984**	Did not qualify									6	2	2	2	12	9
1987										6	5	0	1	14	6
1989										6	3	1	2	5	5
1991										6	3	2	1	17	1
1993										6	2	2	2	6	7
1995										4	2	0	2	7	3
1997										8	3	2	3	7	9
2001										8	2	3	3	10	10
2005										8	2	1	5	7	13
2009	Semi-finals	3rd	5	2	1	2	6	5		10	5	3	2	16	12
2013	Group stage	12th	3	0	1	2	0	2		8	6	1	1	20	2
2017	Champions	1st	6	6	0	0	13	3		Qualified as Host
2022	Quarter-finals	5th	4	2	1	1	8	5		10	10	0	0	48	3
2025	To be determined									To be determined
Total	4/13	7th	18	10	3	5	27	15		86	45	17	24	169	80

References

1. Women's football in the Netherlands Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Royal Dutch Football Association. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
2. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
3. "Gevonden in Delpher – Het vrije volk : Democratisch-socialistisch dagblad".
4. https://www.ad.nl/wk-vrouwenvoetbal/lenie-van-der-jagt-had-de-primeur-met-goal-voor-oranje-in-1956~a7fa3b23/?. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
5. "FIFA". fifa.com.
6. "Olympic Games".
7. FIFA.com. "The FIFA Women's World Ranking - Ranking Table - FIFA.com". www.fifa.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-15. Retrieved 2017-10-29.