Netherlands
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Netherlands
FIFA #48NED
How they play
Possession. Death by a thousand passes.
World ranking
#7
Confederation
UEFA · Europe
How they play
Possession. Death by a thousand passes.
Signature moment
1974. The Netherlands played a World Cup final against West Germany and lost — but nobody really talks about it that way. What people remember is Johan Cruyff turning defenders inside out, the entire team pressing like a swarm, and a style so revolutionary that coaches are still borrowing from it fifty years later. They didn't win the trophy, but they won the legacy. That's the blessing and the curse of being Oranje: the standard was set so high in defeat that every generation since has been chasing a ghost.
The ones to watch
- Virgil van DijkCBProbably the most composed human being alive — defenders rarely become icons, but he somehow managed it.
- Cody GakpoFWLong-strided, left-footed, and capable of goals that make commentators run out of adjectives.
- Xavi SimonsMFGrew up as a Barça wonderkid and has spent every year since proving he deserved the hype.
- Memphis DepayFWHe has a lion tattoo, his own clothing line, and a habit of scoring goals in the biggest moments — in that order.
- Tijjani ReijndersMFThe engine in the middle who does the unglamorous work so the flashy guys can shine — and occasionally steals the spotlight himself.
One email the morning of their opener. Nothing else.
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