1974 World Cup Group Stage – Netherlands 2–0 Brazil (Frankfurt)
The Oranje and Leeuwinnen: Dutch women's football on the rise.
The Netherlands women's national football team represents the Netherlands in international women's football, and is directed by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), which is a member of UEFA and FIFA.
Quick Facts
- Competition
- 1974 FIFA World Cup – Second Round Group A
- Venue
- Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany
- Result
- Netherlands 2–0 Brazil
- Scorers
- Johan Neeskens, Johan Cruyff
- Netherlands manager
- Rinus Michels
- Group
- Group A (Netherlands, Brazil, East Germany, Argentina)
- Tactical system
- Total Football; Sweeper (libero) formation
Lore & Background
In 1971, the team played the first women's international football match recognised by FIFA against France. They played at the final tournament of the UEFA Women's Championship four times and were champions in 2017 as hosts. They qualified for the World Cup three times, reaching the final of the 2019 edition of the World Cup, losing 2–0 against the United States. The result of the 2019 World Cup meant that the Netherlands team qualified for 2020 Olympics where they lost in the quarter-finals. The Netherlands was one of numerous countries where women's football was banned for a long time, and received scepticism afterwards. The team grew in popularity during and after their surprise victory on home soil at the 2017 Euros.
Reader's Guide
The nicknames for the team are the Oranje (Orange) and the Leeuwinnen (Lionesses). The Dutch women's team's logo features a lioness, making it different from the men's team's logo, which sports a male lion. The team plays in bright orange, the historic national colour of the Netherlands. Arjan Veurink became the head coach of the team since the conclusion of the UEFA Women's Euro 2025.
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