National U–21 association football team
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.
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.
UEFA U-23 Championship record [ edit ] 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 [ edit ]
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 [ edit ]
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
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
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
Total
2 titles
9/24
34
16
8
10
52
34
—
178
104
33
41
391
151
(*) Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
[ edit ] 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship [ edit ] The following players were called up for the matches against Mexico on 10 October and Sweden on 14 October 2024.
Caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2024, after the match against Georgia .
The following players have previously been called up to the Netherlands under-21 squad in the last year and remain eligible.
Overage players in Olympic Games [ edit ] Individual all-time records [ edit ] Still active players are highlighted
Most capped players [ edit ] Arnold Bruggink is the most capped player for Jong Orange.Last updated: 29 May 2014
Huntelaar was the top scorer and named best player at the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship , and he is the all-time top scorer for Jong Orange. Last updated: 27 June 2023
Overview International
Leagues
Cups
Tournaments
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Mexico on 10 October and 
Sweden on 14 October 2024.
Georgia.
Club Brugge
Rangers
Aston Villa
