p>The Netherlands launch their 2026 World Cup qualification journey with a match against Finland at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening.
In Group G, alongside Poland, Lithuania, and Malta, the Dutch, ranked 63 places above Finland in the FIFA World Rankings, face a challenging start. The Oranje missed out on UEFA Nations League action this month after a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout loss to Spain in a 10-goal, two-legged quarter-final in March.
Head coach Ronald Koeman has struggled to secure wins, with only two victories in the Netherlands' last nine international matches across all competitions (D4 L3). Those wins were convincing home triumphs over Bosnia-Herzegovina (5-2) and Hungary (4-0) in the Nations League. Due to their Nations League commitments, the Netherlands are playing catch-up in World Cup qualifying, trailing group leaders Poland by six points after Poland’s perfect start in their first two matches.
Ranked sixth globally by FIFA, the Netherlands aim to secure a spot in their 12th World Cup by winning at least six of their eight group games. Historically, they’ve missed the World Cup in all eight instances when they failed to win at least 60% of their qualifiers. Facing Finland may be one of their tougher Group G challenges, but the Dutch have dominated this fixture, winning their last four encounters with Finland in Euros and World Cup qualifiers by a combined score of 11-2.
Meanwhile, Finland, under new head coach Jacob Friis since January, are seeking their first-ever World Cup appearance after 18 unsuccessful campaigns. In 2024, the Eagle-owls endured a tough year, going winless in their final eight matches (D1 L7) and suffering relegation from League B Group 2 in the Nations League after losing all six games against England, the Republic of Ireland, and Greece.
However, Finland have started 2025 on a positive note, remaining unbeaten in their opening two World Cup qualifiers. They secured a narrow 1-0 victory over 10-man Malta, thanks to Oliver Antman’s goal, and then drew 2-2 with Lithuania after squandering a two-goal lead in their latest match in March. This leaves them second in Group G, at least three points ahead of the teams below them.
Ranked 69th in the world, Finland face a tough test against the Netherlands. Their home form has been shaky, with three consecutive home international defeats, each conceding at least two goals, and only one win in their last five home World Cup qualifiers (D2 L2). Friis will be eager to turn around their fortunes at home and push for a historic World Cup qualification, having narrowly missed out in 2022 when they finished just one point behind Ukraine for a playoff spot.
