The Netherlands national football team has been playing since 1905, making them as old as the sport itself. They are managed by the Royal Dutch Football Federation. Known for their rich football history, they have produced some of the world’s greatest footballers.
Dutch footballers not only play for their national team but also for legendary clubs worldwide. Despite their strong reputation, the Netherlands has never won the World Cup, reaching the finals three times in eleven appearances.
They are often considered the best team to never win the World Cup, but their players have achieved greatness on a global scale.
Here are the top 10 greatest Dutch footballers of all time.
10. Virgil Van Dijk
Virgil Van Dijk, who is 33 years old, is known as one of the best defenders of his time. He plays as a center-back and is famous for being strong, fast, and agile. Since joining the national team in 2015, he has played in 79 matches and scored nine goals as a defender.
Van Dijk is currently the captain of both the national team and Liverpool Football Club. He helped Liverpool reach the finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2018 and 2019. During his time with Liverpool, he won the Premier League in 2018-19 and the UEFA Champions League in 2019. He is also the only defender to have won the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award.
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9. Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar is often seen as one of the greatest goalkeepers ever. He played during a time when the Netherlands team was really good. He started playing for the national team in 1995 and played about 130 games for them.
At his best, he was named the best goalkeeper in Europe. He won his first Champions League trophy when he played for Ajax. Later, he won another Champions League title with Manchester United. He set a record by being the oldest player, at 40 years old, to win the Champions League.
8. Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard is often seen as one of the best defensive midfielders ever in football. He played for the national team from 1981 to 1994, appearing in about 73 matches. Rijkaard helped the Netherlands win the 1988 UEFA European Cup, scoring the decisive goal.
Most of Rijkaard’s career highlights came with AC Milan, where he won the Champions League and Serie A league titles twice each. After retiring, he coached major teams like Barcelona, Galatasaray, and the Netherlands.
7. Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben used to play as a winger and was one of the best players of his time. He joined the Netherlands national team in 2003 and made a big impact. He scored 37 goals in 96 matches, making him one of their top scorers.
During his time at Chelsea, he won two Premier League titles in a row. When he moved to Bayern Munich, Robben scored the winning goal in the 2013 Champions League final, where Bayern won the title. He stayed with Bayern for ten years and won eight Bundesliga titles, making him one of the most successful Dutch players ever.
6. Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie began his career as a winger but became one of the top strikers of his time. He scored more goals for the Netherlands national team than anyone else. He played for them from 2005, scoring 50 goals in 102 matches.
At Arsenal, he switched to being a striker and set a record for the most goals in one season. Later, he moved to Manchester United, where he won a Premier League title and two Golden Boot awards in a row.
5. Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman, known as one of the best attacking defenders ever, played both as a defender and midfielder during his career. He played for several famous teams. In 1994, he joined the Netherlands national team and played 78 matches, scoring 14 goals.
He started at Ajax and later moved to their rival PSV. At PSV, he won three Eredivisie titles in a row and a Champions League title. He’s one of the few European players to win a treble with their team. Later, he joined Barcelona and won four LaLiga titles in a row with Johan Cruyff’s “dream team.”
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4. Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp is often seen as one of the best players of his time and one of the top forwards in the Premier League. He scored 37 goals in 79 matches for his national team. Bergkamp had great success playing for Ajax and Arsenal.
At Arsenal, Bergkamp won three Premier League titles and four FA Cup trophies. After he stopped playing, he worked as an assistant coach for Ajax from 2011 to 2017.
3. Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit is considered one of the best footballers ever. He could play as a forward, midfielder, and even as a defender. He scored 17 goals in 66 matches for the Dutch national team and helped them win the 1988 UEFA Euro Cup.
Gullit had a successful time at AC Milan, winning three Serie A titles and two Champions League titles. In 1987, he also won the Ballon d’Or, a top award for individual players.
2. Marco van Basten
Marco van Basten is one of the greatest Dutch players ever. He became famous quickly for his skill with the ball, his attacking style, and his amazing volleys. He played 58 games for the Netherlands and scored 24 goals.
Van Basten started at Ajax, where he won three Eredivisie titles. Then he moved to AC Milan, winning four Serie A titles and two Champions League titles. In his short career, he won three Ballon d’Or awards, the top individual prize in football. Unfortunately, he had to retire early because of an ankle injury.
1. Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff is one of the greatest footballers ever and the best Dutch footballer of all time. He helped Dutch football reach new heights. Cruyff joined the Netherlands national team in 1966 and played 48 games, scoring 33 goals.
He led the Netherlands to the 1974 World Cup finals. He played so well that he won the Golden Ball award. At first, he played for Ajax and won eight Eredivisie titles, a Continental Cup, and three Champions League titles, making him the most successful player in the Netherlands. Cruyff also won three Ballon d’Or awards.
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