The Netherlands are perhaps the most successful footballing nation to have never won the World Cup. That could all change this year – but these 11 men probably won’t be along for the ride.
In this piece, we’ll be looking at an XI of Netherlands’ players who likely will not be included in Ronald Koeman’s 2026 World Cup squad. We’ve included players from clubs such as Leeds United, Brentford and Manchester United – who are the unlucky undecet?
GK: Jasper Cillessen
With 65 caps for the Netherlands to his name, Jasper Cillessen is the 39th longest-serving player in the Oranje’s history. He was part of the team that made it to the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup, where they lost to Argentina on penalties.
Sadly, he was also part of The Netherlands’ downfall, when they failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018. Aged 36, there are much better – not to mention younger – options available to the Dutch in 2026.
RB: Daley Blind
Daley Blind isn’t as old as one may initially think. At 36 years of age, he is a veteran of the game – but having played in 27 La Liga matches for Girona this season, it seems he still has something left to give.
Nevertheless, Blind retired from international duty in 2024 and hasn’t made any public plans to return to the fold – as such, it can be safely assumed that he won’t be playing at the 2026 World Cup.
CB: Sepp van den Berg
Sepp van den Berg has led a solid campaign at Brentford this season, but with no prior international caps to his name, his chances of participation at the World Cup look remote as things stand.
Furthermore, he wasn’t included in Koeman’s latest international squad. Unfortunately, it looks like Van den Berg will be overlooked this year, despite his best efforts.
CB: Pascal Struijk
Pascal Struijk is another casualty of The Netherlands’ stellar selection of options at the heart of defence. He has been a cornerstone of Leeds United’s season in the Premier League, but has never won a cap for his country.
After an up-and-down season with the Whites, it seems unlikely that Struijk will be awarded his debut at the World Cup.