The Netherlands retained manager Ronald Koeman following their run to the Euro 2024 semifinals, where the Dutch had a real mixed bag of results. Their semifinal appearance was a good result given how shorthanded their midfield was, but they also just had to beat Romania, Poland, and Turkey to get there.
The Dutch were famous for their total football strategy back in the Johan Cruyff days, but this squad and projected lineup are a major departure from that approach. The current expected midfield of Frenkie de Jong, Tijjani Reijnders, and Ryan Gravenberch is extremely light on passing quality. All three are ballcarriers, and starting them together would call Koeman’s squad building into question.
Teams that can execute a quality defensive press (like Japan) will be able to exploit the Dutch’s inability to pass through and over them. The injury to Xavi Simons will limit their passing even more. And while Cody Gakpo’s finishing has run hot in multiple international tournaments, the Dutch don’t have anyone to consistently get him the ball.
The Dutch have great defenders on paper, but under Koeman their stats haven’t lived up to their potential. In their four games against Spain and Germany in the 2024-25 Nations League, the Netherlands conceded eight total goals.
They are probably the “best of the rest” after the big seven, but their floor is lower than people might realize. An injury to Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma and the Swedish team’s struggles make this group much weaker than it otherwise appears.
Key player: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)
