The Netherlands are one of the teams that could grab the headlines at Euro 2022 in England this summer, coming into the tournament as reigning champions and boasting a stellar squad that is a mix of elite talent, experience and newer faces.

The Dutch fans are expected to travel in force and will make anywhere the team plays a sea of orange, while the players will set the tournament alight on the pitch with their exciting brand of attacking football.

Here’s everything you need to know about Netherlands heading into Euro 2022.

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Netherlands got to Euro 2022 with a perfect record – 30 points from 10 games. They averaged 4.8 goals per game and conceded only three in total in a dominant performance in qualifying from Group A.

They finished six points clear of Russia in the end and the only opponent who gave them any hint of trouble at all was Slovenia, who finished third and were two late Dutch goals away from taking a point during one of the early qualifiers.

No team scored more qualifying goals than Netherlands, with Spain and Demark matching their tally of 48. Veteran midfielder Sherida Spitse got 10 of them, with Vivianne Miedema recording nine and Danielle van de Donk contributing eight.

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The Netherlands come into Euro 2022 as reigning champions, having won on home soil five years ago. It was their first major tournament triumph in only their third ever European Championship.

Euro 1984: Did not qualify
Euro 1987: Did not qualify
Euro 1989: Did not qualify
Euro 1991: Did not qualify
Euro 1993: Did not qualify
Euro 1995: Did not qualify
Euro 1997: Did not qualify
Euro 2001: Did not qualify
Euro 2005: Did not qualify
Euro 2009: Semi finals
Euro 2013: Group stage
Euro 2017: Winners

The Dutch have played at even fewer World Cups, reaching their first tournament on the global stages for the first time as recently as 2015. But in 2019 they went all the way to the final.

​​1991 World Cup: Did not qualify
1995 World Cup: Did not qualify
1999 World Cup: Did not qualify
2003 World Cup: Did not qualify
2007 World Cup: Did not qualify
2011 World Cup: Did not qualify
2015 World Cup: Round of 16
2019 World Cup: Runners up

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Vivianne Miedema is just phenomenal. She will turn 26 during the tournament this summer, yet has already been one of the best forwards in the world for the last four years. Ice cool in front of goal with a rare, unselfish streak for someone with such an outrageous goal scoring record, she is mesmerising to watch.

Miedema became Netherlands‘ all-time leading scorer back in 2019 when she netted her 60th international goal during the group of the World Cup. Now, she is on 92 for her country and her strike rate at this level is incredibly almost a goal per game (0.85).

Also watch out for 23-year-old Chelsea defender Aniek Nouwen. Solid and dependable, she was slowly integrated in at club level by Emma Hayes but is already an important player for her country and her overall development has benefitted from being exposed to a higher day to day level.

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Having led Netherland to Euro 2017 glory and to the 2019 World Cup final Sarina Wiegman stepped down after the Olympics last summer to take up a pre-arranged new challenge with England, with their place at Euro 2022 already secures. She was replaced by Englishman Mark Parsons.

Parsons is only 35 but already has plenty of club-level coaching experience behind him and has worked extensively in the United States, having first held a number of different junior coaching positions at Chelsea from a young age. The Netherlands is his first international job.

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Five years is a long time in football and only 11 of the Euro 2017-winning squad is returning in 2022.

Those that are returning, including Vivianne Miedema, Lieke Martens, Danielle van de Donk, Sherida Spitse, Jackie Groenen, goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal and more, carry huge experience. But 10 of the 23-player squad are aged 23 or younger – that is particularly noticeable in defence – while eight players overall have fewer than 10 senior international appearances to their name.

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Netherlands vs Sweden

Date & time: Saturday 9 July, 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Bramall Lane
How to watch on TV: BBC One (UK)

Netherlands vs Portugal

Date & time: Wednesday 13 July, 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Leigh Sports Village
How to watch on TV: BBC Two (UK)

Switzerland vs Netherlands

Date & time: Sunday 17 July, 17:00 (BST)
Venue: Bramall Lane
How to watch on TV: BBC Two (UK)

Netherlands come into the tournaments as one of a handful of fancied team, but topping their group will hinge on their clash with Sweden, who are the highest European side in FIFA’s rankings.

The Dutch will be expected to comfortably make the knockout stages. Whether they finish first or second in Group C will determine which side of the bracket they go into.

Topping the group would set up a quarter-final with the runner-up of Group D, which is likely to be Italy. The semi-final on that side is expected to be England or potentially Spain.

Finishing as Group C runner-up would mean a quarter-final against Group D’s winner, potentially France. After that, it would be a semi-final against likely Norway or Germany.

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Goalkeepers: Daphne van Domselaar (Twente), Barbara Lorsheyd (ADO Den Haag), Sari van Veenendaal (PSV Eindhoven)

Defenders: Kerstin Casparij (Twente), Caitlin Dijkstra (Twente), Merel van Dongen (Atletico Madrid), Stefanie van der Gragt (Ajax), Dominique Janssen (Wolfsburg), Aniek Nouwen (Chelsea), Marisa Olislagers (Twente), Lynn Wilms (Wolfsburg)

Midfielders: Danielle van de Donk (Lyon), Damaris Egurrola (Lyon), Jackie Groenen (Man Utd), Victoria Pelova (Ajax), Jill Roord (Wolfsburg), Sherida Spitse (Ajax)

Forwards: Lineth Beerensteyn (Bayern Munich), Esmee Brugts (PSV Eindhoven), Renate Jansen (Twente), Romee Leuchter (Ajax), Lieke Martens (PSG), Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)

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Netherlands remain one of the best around and will no doubt entertain on the pitch as much as their passionate fans will capture headlines off it. But they will fall just short of retaining their European title, with semi-finals the likely point at which they will exit the tournament.

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