International football

The Netherlands men's team played their first international match away against Belgium on 30 April 1905 - a truly historic day for Dutch football and a memorable occasion for Eddy de Neve and Ben Stom in particular. De Neve notched all four goals for the Netherlands in a cliffhanger that went into extra time after Stom had scored an own goal.

The Oranje Legion

The match in Belgium drew some 800 spectators. Today, both Dutch national men's and women's team are closely followed by millions of people. Home matches are usually filled to capacity, with around three million viewers watching on TV. That number often rises to eight million during European and World Championship tournaments.

Dutch football frenzy is known around the world. Netherlands football fans are famed for supporting their team in a positive way. Known at home as Het Legioen, Dutch for The Legion, orange-clad crowds follow the Oranje both at home and abroad, turning streets and entire neighbourhoods orange during major championships.

More orange…

Of course, the senior men’s side aren’t the only team defending the national colours. There are many representative teams bringing together young talents in the men’s U15s, U16s, U17s, U18s, U19s and the U21s. Dutch women’s and girls’ football has six teams representing the nation: the U15s, U16s, U17s, U19s, U23s and the national women's team. The women's team played their first international match in 1973, in Reading against England (1-0).

… and even more

The Netherlands is represented internationally by men's and women's futsal teams. On the men's side, the best players are selected for four national squads: Under 17, Under 19, the junior team and the senior team. The Dutch men's team played its first international match in 1977 and reached its greatest success by finishing runners-up at the 1989 FIFA Futsal World Cup on home soil, losing 2-1 to Brazil in the final.

The women's national futsal team was founded in 1983 and was revived in 2017 ahead of the first official UEFA Women's Futsal EURO in 2019. The Netherlands is also represented internationally in cerebral palsy football. Whatever the discipline, wearing the KNVB crest and representing the Oranje remains a great honour for every player.

OnsOranje OnsOranje brings you up to date on the latest developments surrounding the Netherlands’ representative sides. (in Dutch)