The Netherlands national football team vs France national football team rivalry remains one of the most closely watched fixtures on the European international calendar.
Although the two sides did not cross paths inside the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, their long-running head-to-head has produced some of the most dramatic scorelines in recent tournament history.
Their most recent competitive meeting kicked off at 9pm local time on Friday, 21 June 2024, in Leipzig, Germany, during the Euro 2024 group stage.
That match, played in front of a sold-out crowd, ended goalless, with France resting star forward Kylian Mbappé on the bench after a facial injury.
The Netherlands vs France series stretches back decades, with France holding a clear historical edge in total wins across all competitions.
France’s most emphatic recent statement came in a 4-0 win in Paris during 2018 World Cup qualifying, while the Netherlands has enjoyed its own share of high-scoring victories on home soil.
Both nations arrived at the 2026 World Cup as genuine contenders, though their paths diverged sharply in the United States.
France progressed with a perfect record through Group I before eliminating Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco to reach the semi-finals, where they met Spain on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Netherlands, by contrast, topped Group F but were eliminated in the round of 16 by Morocco on penalties on Monday, 29 June 2026.
That result meant a fresh Netherlands vs France meeting at the tournament never materialised this summer.
Head-to-head snapshot (selected meetings)
| Date | Venue | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 March 2014 | Paris | France 2-0 Netherlands | Friendly |
| 25 March 2016 | Amsterdam | Netherlands 2-3 France | Friendly |
| 10 October 2016 | Amsterdam | Netherlands 0-1 France | World Cup Qualifier |
| 31 August 2017 | Paris | France 4-0 Netherlands | World Cup Qualifier |
| 9 September 2018 | Paris | France 2-1 Netherlands | Nations League |
| 21 June 2024 | Leipzig | Netherlands 0-0 France | Euro 2024 Group Stage |
Overall record snapshot
| Team | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 7 | 1 | 2 | 19 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 |
Statistically, France has won 66.7% of the pair’s total goal markets over five, and the aggregate scoring rate between the sides sits above 2.5 goals per meeting.
The Netherlands vs France fixture has historically favoured Les Bleus, but the Dutch have shown they can match their neighbours when the stakes are highest, as the 2016 Amsterdam friendly proved.
With France now through to the World Cup semi-final and the Netherlands already home from the United States, the next Netherlands vs France clash is likely to arrive during 2026-27 Nations League scheduling later this year.
Key points
- The last Netherlands vs France meeting ended 0-0 at Euro 2024 in Leipzig on 21 June 2024.
- France holds the historical edge with 7 wins to the Netherlands’ 2 from the last 10 meetings.
- The two sides did not meet at the 2026 World Cup after Netherlands’ round-of-16 exit to Morocco.
- France advanced to face Spain in the semi-final on 14 July 2026 in Dallas.
- The next Netherlands vs France fixture is expected during the 2026-27 international calendar.
