This is a record of the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup. The Netherlands have appeared in 10 World Cups as of 2014.
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After appearing in two consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, the team had its biggest World Cup streak in the 1990s, with three straight tournaments. In 1990, two years after the European Championship at the UEFA Euro 1988, the Dutch went out at the Round of 16 in a defeat to West Germany. In 1994, the Netherlands were eliminated by Brazil in the quarterfinals, and in 1998, lost to Brazil in the semifinal and Croatia at the third place match. The Netherlands returned in 2006, being eliminated by Portugal in the Round of 16, a game known as the Battle of Nuremberg. In 2010, the team reached its third World Cup final, this time losing to Spain, with a record number of cards (24 yellow and a yellow red one). Altogether the Dutch team received 97 cards in World Cup history in 50 matches (90 yellow, 4 yellow red and 3 red in 50 games). The Netherlands team avenged this loss during the first match of the following 2014 World Cup, routing the Spanish 5-1, and eventually going on to reach their first 3rd place.
Performance history
*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks. **Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won. Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.Brazil 2014
The Netherlands used all 23 players during the 2014 World Cup, making it the first team in World Cup history to ever use all of its squad players. The team avenged their 2010 loss to Spain by defeating the defending champions with a stunning 5-1 victory in their opening game. They went on to achieve their first third place in any World Cup.