The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years.
| Nickname | Jong Oranje (Young Orange) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond | ||
| Head coach | Michael Reiziger | ||
| Captain | Devyne Rensch | ||
| Most caps | Arnold Bruggink & Leroy Fer (31) | ||
| Top scorer | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (18) | ||
| |||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 10 (first in 1988) | ||
| Best result | Winners (2006, 2007) | ||
Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, the Dutch Under-21 team was formed. The team did not have a very good record, failing to qualify for nine of the fifteen tournaments. The team did not enter for the 1978 competition, but since then has reached the semi-finals twice, and qualified for the last eight on three other occasions.
Since the under-21 competition rules insist that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two-year competition, technically it is an U-23 competition. For this reason, the Netherlands' record in the preceding U-23 competitions is also shown. The first competitive match was in the "Under-23 Challenge", a match which they lost. The team qualified for the last eight of each of the three U-23 tournaments.
In 2006 the Netherlands national under-21 football team of coach Foppe de Haan won the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar became top scorer and player of the tournament with four goals, and also broke the all-time goalscoring record of 15 goals previously held by Roy Makaay and Arnold Jan Bruggink, in his last match with the team as he pushed this record to eighteen goals. The following year, Netherlands national under-21 football team successfully defended their title by winning the 2007 European Under-21 Championship in the final against Serbia with 4–1. Maceo Rigters was the top scorer of the competition with four goals and Royston Drenthe was the Player of the Tournament. The win meant that the Netherlands qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The team failed to qualify for the 2009 European Under-21 Championship, after losing out to Switzerland in their final qualifying match.
Competitive record
UEFA U-23 Championship record
The Netherlands were randomly chosen to play against Bulgaria for the title in a one-off match in Sofia, which the Netherlands lost.
- 17 April 1968: Bulgaria 3–1 Netherlands.
UEFA U-23 Championship Record
| UEFA U-23 Championship Record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | ||
| 1972 | Quarter-finals | ? | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | ||
| 1974 | Quarter-finals | ? | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | ||
| 1976 | Semi finals | ? | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | ||
| Total | 0 titles | 3/3 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 11 | ||
(*) Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
UEFA U-21 Championship Record
| UEFA U-21 Championship Record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 1978 | did not enter | did not enter | ||||||||||||||
| 1980 | did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | |||||||||
| 1982 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 1984 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 1986 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 1988 | Semi-finals | 3rd/4th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | — | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 5 | |
| 1990 | did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | |||||||||
| 1992 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 4 | |
| 1994 | did not qualify | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 14 | |||||||||
| 1996 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 9 | ||||||||||
| 1998 | Fourth place | 4th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Squad | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 5 | |
| 2000 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Squad | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 9 | |
| 2002 | did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2004 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2006 | Final | Champions | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | Squad | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 7 | |
| 2007 | Final | Champions | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 5 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
| 2009 | did not qualify | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 3 | |||||||||
| 2011 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 2013 | Semi-finals | 3rd/4th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | Squad | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 3 | |
| 2015 | did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 13 | |||||||||
| 2017 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 10 | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | Semi-finals | 3rd/4th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | Squad | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 5 | |
| 2023 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Squad | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
| 2025 | Semi-finals | 3rd/4th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | ||
| Total | 2 titles | 10/25 | 39 | 18 | 9 | 12 | 59 | 40 | — | 188 | 114 | 33 | 41 | 423 | 154 | |
(*) Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
Olympic Games
Results and fixtures 2021–2023
2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Qualification
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 3 | +29 | 26 | Final tournament | — | 2–0 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 6–0 | |
| 2 | Switzerland | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 6 | +16 | 23 | 2–2 | — | 3–0 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 3 | Moldova | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 12 | 0–3 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Wales | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 14 | +1 | 11 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | ||
| 5 | Bulgaria | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 10 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–4 | — | 5–0 | ||
| 6 | Gibraltar | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 41 | −40 | 1 | 0–7 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–7 | 1–1 | — |
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Players
Current squad
Players born on or after 1 January 2004 are eligible for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
The following players were named in the squad for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group G match against Slovenia and Israel on 14 and 18 November 2025; respectively.
Caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2025, after the match against Israel.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Bernt Klaverboer | 26 September 2005 | 1 | 0 | Heerenveen |
| 23 | GK | Niek Schiks | 3 February 2004 | 1 | 0 | PSV |
| GK | Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro | 2 July 2004 | 8 | 0 | AZ | |
| GK | Tom de Graaff | 10 December 2004 | 2 | 0 | PEC Zwolle | |
| 2 | DF | Marvin Young | 2 October 2005 | 2 | 0 | Sparta Rotterdam |
| 3 | DF | Wouter Goes | 10 June 2004 | 10 | 0 | AZ |
| 4 | DF | Rav van den Berg | 7 July 2004 | 10 | 1 | FC Köln |
| 5 | DF | Mats Rots | 11 March 2006 | 4 | 0 | FC Twente |
| 12 | DF | Elijah Dijkstra | 5 August 2006 | 3 | 0 | AZ |
| 13 | DF | Jozhua Vertrouwd | 21 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | Rayo Vallecano |
| 14 | DF | Thijmen Blokzijl | 25 February 2005 | 4 | 0 | FC Groningen |
| 15 | DF | Sam de Grand | 5 October 2004 | 1 | 0 | Lommel |
| DF | Givairo Read | 2 June 2006 | 1 | 0 | Feyenoord | |
| 6 | MF | Ezechiel Banzuzi | 16 February 2005 | 10 | 1 | RB Leipzig |
| 8 | MF | Kees Smit | 20 January 2006 | 4 | 0 | AZ |
| 10 | MF | Gjivai Zechiël | 1 June 2004 | 9 | 2 | FC Utrecht |
| 17 | MF | Sami Ouaissa | 2 October 2004 | 2 | 0 | NEC Nijmegen |
| 20 | MF | Isaac Babadi | 6 April 2005 | 6 | 2 | Royal Antwerp |
| MF | Lamare Bogarde | 5 January 2004 | 2 | 0 | Aston Villa | |
| 7 | FW | Jayden Addai | 26 August 2005 | 3 | 1 | Como |
| 9 | FW | Thom van Bergen | 6 January 2004 | 15 | 4 | FC Groningen |
| 11 | FW | Ernest Poku | 28 January 2004 | 19 | 5 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 18 | FW | Jorg Schreuders | 9 September 2004 | 3 | 0 | FC Groningen |
| 19 | FW | Devin Haen | 18 June 2004 | 2 | 0 | Willem II |
| 21 | FW | Aymen Sliti | 24 March 2006 | 1 | 0 | Feyenoord |
| 22 | FW | Ayoub Oufkir | 4 January 2006 | 0 | 0 | Sparta Rotterdam |
Recent call ups
The following players have previously been called up to the Netherlands under-21 squad in the last year and remain eligible.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Jorrel Hato | 7 March 2006 | 11 | 0 | Chelsea | v. England, 25 June 2025 |
| DF | Maxim Dekker | 21 April 2004 | 2 | 0 | AZ | v. Slovenia, 14 November 2024 |
| MF | Antoni Milambo | 3 April 2005 | 5 | 0 | Brentford | v. Israel, 9 September 2025 |
| MF | Dave Kwakman | 7 August 2004 | 0 | 0 | AZ | v. Israel, 9 September 2025 |
| MF | Tygo Land | 11 January 2006 | 0 | 0 | FC Groningen | v. Israel, 9 September 2025 |
| FW | Ro-Zangelo Daal | 10 February 2004 | 0 | 0 | AZ | v. Israel, 9 September 2025 |
| FW | Don-Angelo Konadu | 3 May 2006 | 0 | 0 | Ajax | v. Israel, 9 September 2025 |
| FW | Jaden Slory | 9 May 2005 | 0 | 0 | Feyenoord | v. Israel, 9 September 2025 |
| FW | Ruben van Bommel | 3 August 2004 | 15 | 4 | PSV | September 2025 Camp INJ |
INJ Withdrew due to injury. | ||||||
Overage players in Olympic Games
| Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Kew Jaliens (DF) | Gerald Sibon (FW) | Roy Makaay (FW) |
Notable players from under-21 football team
- Jo Bonfrere
- Roy Makaay
- Arnold Bruggink
- Wilfred Bouma
- Peter Wisgerhof
- Victor Sikora
- Mark van Bommel
- Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink
- Dirk Kuyt
- Kenneth Vermeer
- Gijs Luirink
- Nicky Hofs
- Stijn Schaars
- Urby Emanuelson
- Romeo Castelen
- Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
- Robin van Persie
- Boy Waterman
- Ron Vlaar
- Ryan Donk
- Gianni Zuiverloon
- Hedwiges Maduro
- Otman Bakkal
- Maceo Rigters
- Ryan Babel
- Royston Drenthe
- Tim Krul
- Erik Pieters
Individual all-time records
Most capped players
| Rank | Player | Career | Matches | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arnold Bruggink | 1995–1999 | 31 | 15 |
| Leroy Fer | 2009–2013 | 31 | 6 | |
| 3 | Daniël de Ridder | 2004–2007 | 30 | 1 |
| 4 | Niels Oude Kamphuis | 1996–2000 | 28 | 2 |
| 5 | Roy Makaay | 1994–1998 | 27 | 15 |
| Mark van Bommel | 1996–2000 | 27 | 3 | |
| 7 | Kiki Musampa | 1996–2000 | 25 | 8 |
| Arnold Kruiswijk | 2003–2007 | 25 | 0 | |
| 9 | Georginio Wijnaldum | 2009–2013 | 24 | 10 |
| 10 | Daley Blind | 2009–2013 | 23 | 0 |
| Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 2002–2006 | 23 | 18 | |
| Bram Nuytinck | 2010–2013 | 23 | 2 | |
| Marco van Ginkel | 2011–2014 | 23 | 4 | |
| Tonny Vilhena | 2013–2016 | 23 | 4 |
Last updated: 29 May 2014
Most goals scored
| Rank | Player | Career | Goals | Matches | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 2002–2006 | 18 | 23 | 0.78 |
| 2 | Roy Makaay | 1994–1998 | 15 | 27 | 0.56 |
| Arnold Bruggink | 1995–1999 | 15 | 31 | 0.48 | |
| 4 | Género Zeefuik | 2011–2012 | 10 | 12 | 0.83 |
| Georginio Wijnaldum | 2009–2013 | 10 | 24 | 0.42 | |
| 6 | Brian Brobbey | 2021–2023 | 9 | 17 | 0.53 |
| 7 | Vincent Janssen | 2014–2015 | 8 | 10 | 0.80 |
| Kiki Musampa | 1996–2000 | 8 | 25 | 0.32 | |
| 9 | Edwin Bakker | 1984–1985 | 7 | 7 | 1.00 |
| Ronald de Boer | 1989–1992 | 7 | 9 | 0.78 | |
| Quincy Promes | 2013–2014 | 7 | 10 | 0.70 | |
| Joshua Zirkzee | 2020–2023 | 7 | 19 | 0.37 | |
| Jurgen Ekkelenkamp | 2020–2023 | 7 | 22 | 0.32 |
Last updated: 27 June 2023
See also
- Netherlands national football team
- Netherlands national under-19 football team
- Netherlands national under-17 football team
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship
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