Netherlands vs Italy – 2000 Euro Semifinal
The Oranje Leeuwinnen: from underdogs to European champions and World Cup finalists.
The Netherlands women's national football team represents the Netherlands in international women's football, directed by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB).
Quick Facts
- Tournament
- UEFA Euro 2000 – Semifinal
- Venue
- De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Final score
- Italy 2 – 1 Netherlands
- Netherlands outcome
- Eliminated from the tournament
- Italy next match
- Lost the final 0–1 to France
Lore & Background
The team played its first FIFA-recognized women's international match against France on 17 April 1971, losing 4–0. After years of underinvestment and a ban on women's football, the team qualified for its first major tournament at UEFA Women's Euro 2009, finishing third. They won their first major trophy at UEFA Women's Euro 2017 as hosts, beating Denmark 4–2 in the final. At the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, they reached the final, losing 2–0 to the United States. They qualified for the 2020 Olympics via that World Cup finish, losing in the quarter-finals to the United States on penalties. The team is nicknamed the Oranje or Leeuwinnen.
Reader's Guide
The team plays in bright orange. Their logo features a lioness, distinct from the men's team's male lion. Arjan Veurink became head coach after the conclusion of UEFA Women's Euro 2025.
Did You Know?
- The Netherlands women's team won the UEFA Women's Championship in 2017 on home soil.
- The team's nicknames are Oranje (Orange) and Leeuwinnen (Lionesses).
- Women's football was banned in the Netherlands for a long time before gaining popularity.
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