"The intellectualisation
of football has
always foundered
on a simple problem-
-the players. Doing
all your most
rewarding thinking
with your feet seems
to dull the philo-
sophical impulse.
Unless, of course,
you are Dutch.
According to legend,
Europeans played
a moronic, muscular
version of the world's
game, until Holland
proclaimed its vision
of total football in the
1974 World Cup,
and enlightenment
dawned."

From:
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football

The Netherlands at the World Cup

Total
M	W	D	L	Pts	G+		G-
43	22	10	11	76	71	-	44
All time World Cup table

1934 - Uruguay

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
1	Netherlands	-	Switzerland	2	-	3

1938 - Italy

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
1	Netherlands	-	Czechoslovakia	0	-	3
						* e.t.

1954 - Switzerland

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

1958 - Sweden

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

1962 - Chile

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

1966 - England

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

1970 - Mexico

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

1974 - West-Germany

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away

1	Netherlands	-	Uruguay	2	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	Sweden	0	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	Bulgaria	4	-	1

2	Netherlands	-	Argentina	4	-	0
2	Netherlands	-	GDR	2	-	0
2	Netherlands	-	Brazil	2	-	0

F	Germany	-	Netherlands	2	-	1

1978 - Argentina

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away

1	Netherlands	-	Iran	3	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	Peru	0	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	Scotland	2	-	3

2	Netherlands	-	Austria	5	-	1
2	Netherlands	-	West Germany	2	-	2
2	Netherlands	-	Italy	2	-	1

F	Argentina	-	Netherlands	3*	-	1
						*e.t.

1982 - Spain

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

1986 - Mexico

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

1990 - Italy

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away

1	Netherlands	-	Egypt	1	-	1
1	Netherlands	-	England	0	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	Ireland	1	-	1

2	Netherlands	-	Germany	1	-	2

1994 - United States

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away

1	Netherlands	-	Saudi Arabia	2	-	1
1	Netherlands	-	Belgium	0	-	1
1	Netherlands	-	Morocco	2	-	1

2	Netherlands	-	Ireland	2	-	0

QF	Netherlands	-	Brazil	2	-	3

1998 - France

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away

1	Netherlands	-	Belgium	0	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	S. Korea	5	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	Mexico	2	-	2

2	Netherlands	-	Yugoslavia	1	-	0

QF	Netherlands	-	Argentina	2	-	1

SF	Netherlands	-	Brazil	1	-	1
			Penalties:	2	-	4

LF	Netherlands	-	Croatia	1	-	2

2002 - Japan & South Korea

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

2006 - Germany

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away

1	Netherlands	-	Serbia & M.	1	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	Ivory Coast	2	-	1
1	Argentina	-	Netherlands	0	-	0

2	Netherlands	-	Portugal	0	-	1

2010 - South Africa

Round	Home	-	Away	Home	-	Away
1	Netherlands	-	Denmark	2	-	0
1	Netherlands	-	Japan	1	-	0
1	Cameroon	-	Netherlands	1	-	2

2	Netherlands	-	Slovakia	2	-	1

QF	Netherlands	-	Brazil	2	-	1

SF	Uruguay	-	Netherlands	2	-	3

F	Netherlands	-	Spain	0	-	1

Team records

Biggest victory: 5-0 vs South Korea in 1998.
Biggest defeat: 0-3 vs Czechoslovakia in 1938.
Overall topscorer: John Rep 7 goals (1974 and 1978)
Most appearances: John Rep, Ruud Krol and Wim Jansen 14 matches (1974 and 1978)
Hosted the World Cup: Never