The Netherlands began their 2026 World Cup qualification journey with a solid 2-0 victory over Finland. Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries were the scorers in this away match.
The Dutch team, led by Ronald Koeman, had little room for mistakes after Poland’s two wins in Group G. Their strong start brought them within three points of the top spot, with a game still to play.
Lukas Hradecky, marking his 100th cap for Finland, couldn’t stop Depay’s early strike into the bottom-right corner. This goal came just six minutes into the game after Finland’s defensive lapse. Despite making a brilliant save against Jeremie Frimpong’s header, Hradecky was beaten again when Dumfries converted Cody Gakpo’s cross in the 23rd minute.
After halftime, the Netherlands continued to press for more goals. AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders narrowly missed the target with a low shot. Meanwhile, Hradecky made another crucial save from Depay’s deflected attempt. Frenkie de Jong also missed a chance late in the game as Finland managed to avoid further damage. However, this loss left them with four points from their first three matches.
The Dutch team dominated the match statistics with 17 shots compared to Finland’s five and an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.06 against Finland’s 0.2. Depay is closing in on history with his 48th international goal, just two shy of Robin van Persie’s national record. Dumfries reached double figures for international goals among defenders this century, surpassing Virgil van Dijk.
The match saw Jeremie Frimpong nearly score with a header saved by Hradecky. The Finnish goalkeeper was tested several times but managed to keep out some dangerous attempts from the Dutch side. Despite these efforts, Finland could not prevent Dumfries from scoring his milestone goal.
This victory sets a positive tone for the Netherlands as they continue their World Cup qualifying campaign. With key players like Depay and Dumfries performing well, they are poised to challenge for top positions in their group. The team’s focus will be on maintaining momentum and securing further wins in upcoming matches.