Having last tasted european success back in 1988.

Netherlands –Participating Teams in the Euro Football 2024 Tournament

Netherlands are one of the 24 participating teams in the 2024 European Championships. With a rich football history and a talented squad, how far can the Dutch go in this summer’s European Cup? 

In this in-depth Netherlands national team preview, we look back on their route to the 2024 tournament, analyse their expected performances in Germany, and revisit the nation’s 1988 victory. Read on as we take a closer look at Holland’s chances of winning the 2024 European Championship.  

The Dutch Football Team in the Euro Football Tournament

Netherlands are one of the most successful teams when it comes to appearing in European Championships. This summer’s tournament will be the nation’s 11th Euro Cup. Only Germany and Spain have competed in more. 

Holland booked their spot in the 2024 European Championship by finishing as runners-up in Group B. Qualification was confirmed on November 18th. 

Netherlands’ first appearance in the Euro finals was in 1976. They lost to Czech Republic in the semi-finals but beat hosts Yugoslavia in the third-place play-off game to take the bronze medal. 

The Dutch were knocked out in the group stage in 1980 and failed to qualify for the 1984 tournament. However, they were back with a bang in 1988, going all the way on German soil. 

In a group with Soviet Union, England, and Republic of Ireland, Netherlands finished in second place with four points to their name. They were beaten by Soviet Union in game one but bounced back with a victory against England and a draw with Ireland. 

Holland edged past West Germany in the semi-final in Hamburg, with their winner coming in the 88th minute. They squared off against Soviet Union in the final, and goals in either half secured a famous 2-0 win in Munich. 

In Sweden, four years later, Oranje were hoping to successfully defend their European crown. Netherlands went up against Germany, Scotland, and CIS in Group 2. After a narrow win against the Scots, the Dutch drew with CIS. They went through as group winners with a superb 3-1 victory over the Germans on matchday three. 

They took on Denmark at the Ullevi in Gothenburg in the semi-finals. The Danes were only in the European Championship due to Yugoslavia’s disqualification. The teams played out a thrilling 2-2 draw, and Denmark went on to win 5-4 on penalties. In the final, the Danes stunned Germany. 

Netherlands went on to have a few more strong Euro tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals in England in 1996 before back-to-back semi-finals in 2000 and 2004. They made it to the quarter-finals in 2008 but were eliminated in the group stage in 2012. 

Incredibly, Oranje failed to qualify for the 2016 competition on French soil, which was their first missed Euro Championship since the 1984 edition, which was also held in France. They were back at the 2020 European Championship, though the Dutch were knocked out in the Round of 16. 

The last couple of European Championships have been poor, but Holland are hoping to bounce back in 2024. After securing a qualification spot, they were seeded in Pot 3 and were drawn into Group A. Netherlands will face France, Austria, and the play-off Path A winners in Germany. 

As you would expect, France are the favourites to win Group D. The French have reached the last two World Cup finals and could be the team to beat on German soil. Holland will play the French in Leipzig on matchday two. 

Before turning their attention to Didier Deschamps’ men, Netherlands kick off their European Championship with a game against the play-off A winners in Hamburg. The Dutch will play Wales, Finland, Poland, or Estonia at the Volksparkstadion. 

Netherlands’ third and final group matchup will take place in the iconic Olympiastadion in Berlin on June 25th. They will be looking for all three points against the Austrians in the German capital. 

The first two will enter the Round of 16, and Netherlands and France are the fancied teams. Third place could still be enough, but the Dutch are gunning for a top-two finish in Group D. 

Netherlands’ Road to the European Championship 2024

Netherlands went up against France, Greece, Republic of Ireland, and Gibraltar in a tough qualifying group. Before a ball was kicked, France and Holland were expected to finish in the top two, though Greece and Ireland were tipped to cause issues for the big boys. 

France went on to win the group, winning seven and drawing one of eight games. The French were the best team by far, scoring 29 goals along the way. However, the Dutch followed Les Bleus to Germany by taking the runners-up spot in Group B. 

Greece finished third and took a play-off place via the Nations League. Ireland had a poor campaign and finished fourth, while Gibraltar lost all eight of their qualifying fixtures. 

Oranje’s campaign got off to the worst possible start, as they were thumped 4-0 by France in Saint-Denis. The World Cup runners-up turned on the style at the Stade de France, with Kylian Mbappe (2), Antoine Griezmann, and Dayot Upamecano getting the goals. 

The manager needed a reaction, and Holland cruised to a 3-0 victory against Gibraltar on matchday two. After a goal midway through the first period, two second-half efforts added gloss to the scoreline. 

The Dutch were back in Euro qualifying action several months later, and another 3-0 home win put them in a commanding position in the group. This time, they were too hot to handle for Greece at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven. 

Holland then picked up a vital victory on the road. They fell behind to Ireland in front of 50,000 at the Aviva Stadium, but the Dutch were ahead by the hour mark. They held on for a massive 2-1 win in Dublin. 

Netherlands suffered another disappointing defeat to France, but they bounced back with a huge three points in Athens. A last-gasp goal gave Oranje a 1-0 victory over Greece at the Agia Sophia Stadium. 

On the final day of qualifying, Holland secured their spot in the Euro finals with a convincing victory against Gibraltar in Portugal. A big 6-0 win was enough to claim second place in Group B. 

Overall, they picked up 18 points from a possible 24 and finished four points behind France.  They lost home and away to the French but won the other six. Mbappe was the group’s top scorer, netting a staggering nine goals. 

Holland’s Recent Euro Performances

Netherlands are one of just ten nations to have won the Euro Championship. However, it has been 36 years since they last lifted the famous Henri Delaunay Trophy. 

Oranje have gone close on one or two occasions since, but the last couple of Euro tournaments have been disappointing for the football-mad nation.  

They had a dreadful 2012 competition in Poland and Ukraine, losing three out of three and finishing 15th out of 16 in the official standings. The Dutch then failed to qualify for the 2016 version altogether. 

They had a strong qualification campaign for the 2020 championship, winning six of eight qualifying matches. They went into the pan-European edition as one of the favourites but were knocked out in the Round of 16. 

In the group stage, Holland were very easy on the eye, collecting maximum points in games against Ukraine, Austria, and North Macedonia. Along the way, they scored eight and conceded just two.  

Netherlands kicked off the 2020 Euro Cup with a 3-2 win against Ukraine in Amsterdam. It was a thrilling fixture, as the Ukrainians came from two goals down to level the match at 2-2. However, a goal five minutes from time gave the home team a vital victory. 

In game two, Holland battled to a 2-0 win against Austria, which was enough to put them safely through to the last 16. They followed that up with an easy 3-0 triumph over North Macedonia.

Unfortunately for the Dutch supporters, Holland’s journey came to an end in the Round of 16. It was their first game away from Amsterdam, and they crashed to an unexpected 2-0 loss to Czech Republic in front of a 52,000+ crowd at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. 

Italy went on to win the tournament, seeing off England at Wembley Stadium in the final. Despite a superb group stage, it was another disappointing European Championship campaign for Holland. 

Netherlands’ Chances of Winning the 2024 European Championship

Even though Netherlands are not one of the top seeds, many have tipped the nation for success this summer. England, Germany, and France are the top favourites, but the Dutch could fly under the radar on German turf. 

They have certainly shown an improvement in recent years, finishing fifth in the last World Cup and fourth in the 2023 Nations League. They are now looking to go even further in the 2024 Euro Cup. 

They should get out of the group stage, and the Dutch will fancy their chances of getting past the Round of 16 for the first time since 2008. If things click into gear, Holland could be a team to watch out for this summer.