Why the Netherlands are the unluckiest team in World Cup history

In the last three World Cups, they haven’t lost a single match. Not in regular time, not in extra time. Their unbeaten streak now stands at 16 games - no one in the tournament’s history has a longer run.

Yet, the Dutch have only one bronze medal from 2014 to show from these tournaments, and not too many fond memories since then. After losing to Argentina on penalties in the 2014 semi-final, they were knocked out on penalties before the fight for the medals really began in 2022 by Argentina and have now suffered the same fate in 2026 at the hands of Morocco.

The latest defeat, to Morocco, was extremely bitter. They conceded an equaliser in stoppage time, and Bart Verbruggen saved Soufiane Rahimi’s attempt in the shootout with the Netherlands leading 1-0, but accidentally knocked it over the line with his heel.

They now share the record for the most penalty-shootout defeats in the tournament, tied with Spain. They’ve lost four shootouts four, and are the first nation ever to lose three in a row.

Before that run of shootout exits, they lost the 2010 final in the final minutes of extra time, and hold the record for the most lost finals (1974, 1978, and 2010).

The last time they lost a World Cup match in regular time was 20 years ago, in the round of 16 against Portugal. 

In total, the Dutch have taken part in nine penalty shootouts at major tournaments and have been eliminated seven times.

Besides the aforementioned World Cup failures, it also happened at the European Championships in 1992, 1996, and 2000 - three times in a row as well. They finally broke the black streak at the next Euros, when they beat Sweden.

On the world stage, their only shootout win came in 2014 against Costa Rica. That time, experienced coach Louis van Gaal made an unorthodox move and changed goalkeepers before the shootout, with backup Tim Krul, becoming the hero. However, in the next match, it went to penalties again, but the Dutch had used all their substitutions, couldn’t repeat the trick, and lost to Argentina.

Generational trauma

The trauma of penalties has now even been passed from father to son. Koeman included Justin Kluivert among the penalty takers, and he missed, just like his father Patrick did 26 years prior.

Although Patrick was usually reliable in shootouts, he missed from the spot during the Euro 2000 semi-final against Italy, in what was one of Oranje's most painful defeats. Hosting the tournament and up against an Italy side that were a man down, Kluivert and co looked set to make the final, but they missed two penalties during the match and three in the shootout.

Exactly 26 years later, to the very day, Justin Kluivert hit the same post as his father, the Dutch missed three out of five attempts and got knocked out.