World Cup Hero
Predict the 2026 World Cup your way
England and Netherlands are in different groups at the 2026 World Cup. A direct meeting can happen from the knockout stage onwards. On the FIFA ranking, England are the favourite — a 3-place gap.
EK-halve finales 1996 en 2024, EK 1988 en talloze interlands. Britse media noemen het 'unfinished business'.
| England 🏴 | Metric | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| #4 | FIFA Ranking | #7 |
| Group L | Group | Group F |
| UEFA | Confederation | UEFA |
| Thomas Tuchel | Head coach | Ronald Koeman |
| 17 | WC appearances | 12 |
| World champion (1966) | Best WC | Runner-up (1974, 1978, 2010) |
England have reached at least the semi-final of every major tournament since 2018 — and missed out on the trophy every time. This is the Bellingham, Foden, Saka and Kane generation, and it's literally now or never. Tuchel was appointed in 2024 to deliver the one thing Southgate couldn't: a trophy. Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea and knows tournament football. Group L with Croatia looks tough on paper, but England are enough of a favourite to win it. Strength: midfield depth. Weakness: still the mental block on penalties. It would be poetic if England became world champions again 60 years after 1966 — but English poetry rarely ends well.
The Netherlands enter the World Cup as a stealth contender — not among the absolute favourites, but dangerous to anyone they meet. Van Dijk is the spine, the gear-shift comes from Xavi Simons and Gakpo, and Frenkie de Jong dictates the midfield when fit. Koeman's biggest headache: who scores the goals if Depay can't last the tournament? In Group F, Japan is a dangerous number two — that team beat both Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup. Historically, the Oranje overperform their FIFA ranking at World Cups; a semi-final is realistic, and a fourth lost final would be painfully fitting.
Set your 10 sliders and decide which teams win according to your model — including this dream matchup.
Start predicting →England and Netherlands are not in the same group. A meeting can only happen from the knockout stage (Round of 16 onwards).
On the FIFA world ranking, England (#4) are favoured over Netherlands (#7). The gap is 3 ranking places.
England: World champion (1966) (17 World Cup appearances). Netherlands: Runner-up (1974, 1978, 2010) (12 World Cup appearances).
England are coached by Thomas Tuchel. Netherlands are coached by Ronald Koeman.
England play in Group L. Netherlands play in Group F.
Last updated: 2026-06-07