In the final match of Group G in the UEFA qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the Netherlands cruised to a 4–0 home victory over Lithuania, with goals from Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons and Donyell Malen. The dominant win officially secured their place in the World Cup finals.
The Netherlands Qualify for Their 12th World Cup Appearance
The “Dutch Masters,” who finished as runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010, will make their 12th appearance on football’s biggest stage as they continue their pursuit of a long-awaited first World Cup title.
Koeman: “Details Still Need Improvement”
Speaking about next year’s World Cup finals, head coach Ronald Koeman remained cautious.
“I won’t predict, but I think we have many good players and strong internal competition. We must admit that our performance deteriorated, or we gave opponents unwarranted chances throughout the qualifications. Here are topics we must solve before the World Cup.”
Group G: Netherlands Outclass Lithuania to Stay in Control
Heading into the final round, the Netherlands held a favourable position with a 13-goal advantage over Poland in goal difference. Koeman’s side lived up to expectations, dominating the entire match with high tempo and relentless pressing, forcing Lithuania into passive defending throughout.
First Half: De Jong Assists Reijnders for the Breakthrough
The deadlock was broken in the 15th minute when Frenkie de Jong delivered a precise through ball to Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who calmly slotted home inside the box.
Despite waves of Dutch attacks, Lithuania’s goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas produced several crucial saves to keep the halftime score at 1–0.
Gakpo, Simons and Malen Score in Quick Succession
After the break, the match tilted completely in the Netherlands’ favour. In the 58th minute, Cody Gakpo converted a penalty to double the lead. Just two minutes later, Xavi Simons pounced on a rebound to score the third.
Another two minutes passed before Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen fired low into the net from the left side of the box, extending the lead to 4–0 and sealing the victory.
With the result secured, Koeman made five substitutions to slow the tempo. In the closing minutes, 22-year-old Feyenoord midfielder Luciano Valente made his national team debut, drawing loud cheers from the 50,000 fans in attendance.
Poland wins but is Still Forced into the Playoffs
In the group’s other match, Poland defeated Malta 3–2 away. Still, it finished behind the Netherlands on goal difference, meaning they will head into the playoffs in March for another shot at World Cup qualification.
Poland’s goals came from Robert Lewandowski, Karol Świderski and Piotr Zieliński. At the same time, Malta equalised twice through Cain Attard and Paul Mbong, but ultimately could not stop Poland from taking the win.
