Match report
The Netherlands inched closer to a direct World Cup 2026 berth by routing Finland 4-0 on Sunday, in the eighth round of the European qualifiers, Group 7.
The goals came in the first half from Denzel Dumfries (8), captain Virgil van Dijk (17) and Memphis Depay (38, from a penalty), with Cody Gakpo adding a late fourth in the 84th minute.
The Dutch, who had already won the first leg 2-0 in Finland, moved to 16 points from five wins and one draw, and will travel to second-placed Poland on 14 November. Lithuania sit fourth on three points after their latest results.
In the playoff picture, only the group winner earns direct qualification; the runner-up advances to the playoff bracket.
Koeman made three changes to the starting XI, bringing Tijani Reijnders into midfield while Depay and Malen started up front ahead of other forwards.
At the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, the hosts almost opened the scoring within five minutes after a long ball from Kluyферt; Dumfries headed narrowly wide from close range. The opener arrived in the 8th minute when Dumfries finished from inside the area after a build-up from the left.
Just before half-time, Van Dijk rose to head home from a Depay corner and doubled the lead. Depay then converted a penalty in the 38th minute after a handball, with his 54th goal in 106 appearances making him the Dutch all-time top scorer.
Reijnders came on after the break and helped the Dutch press, while Finland pushed for a reply but were kept at bay. In the 84th minute, Gakpo capped the night with a powerful long-range strike that hit the post and went in.
Two notes on the broader context: the European World Cup qualifying system awards direct qualification to the group winner, while the runner-up goes to a playoff. The 2026 finals will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with 16 host cities spread across the three countries.
During the wake of the match, the article also outlines that 11 cities will host in the United States (Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, New York), three in Mexico (Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City) and two in Canada (Vancouver, Toronto).
Finland’s task grows tougher; they sit third on 10 points from seven games, level with Poland in the hunt for playoff chances.
Netherlands’ performance keeps them on track for a direct ticket, while Finland will have to chase the playoff route as the campaign continues. The bigger picture of the 2026 World Cup, staged across three nations, looms large for both teams, as the road to qualification winds on.
Punchline 1: The Dutch are so efficient, even their celebrations have a built‑in timekeeper—goal, assist, repeat. Punchline 2: Finland’s defense tried to be polite about it, but tonight the goals RSVP’d yes to the party anyway.
