Netherlands national under-21 football team


The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years.
Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, the Dutch Under-21 team was formed. The team did not have a very good record, failing to qualify for nine of the fifteen tournaments. The team did not enter for the 1978 competition, but since then has reached the semi-finals twice, and qualified for the last eight on three other occasions.
Since the under-21 competition rules insist that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two-year competition, technically it is an U-23 competition. For this reason, the Netherlands' record in the preceding U-23 competitions is also shown. The first competitive match was in the "Under-23 Challenge", a match which they lost. The team qualified for the last eight of each of the three U-23 tournaments.
In 2006 the Netherlands national under-21 football team of coach Foppe de Haan won the 2006 European Under-21 Championship. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar became top scorer and player of the tournament with four goals, and also broke the all-time goalscoring record of 15 goals previously held by Roy Makaay and Arnold Jan Bruggink, in his last match with the team as he pushed this record to eighteen goals. The following year, Netherlands national under-21 football team successfully defended their title by winning the 2007 European Under-21 Championship in the final against Serbia with 4–1. Maceo Rigters was the top scorer of the competition with four goals and Royston Drenthe was the Player of the Tournament. The win meant that the Netherlands qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The team failed to qualify for the 2009 European Under-21 Championship, after losing out to Switzerland in their final qualifying match.

UEFA U-23 Championship record

The Netherlands were randomly chosen to play cards Bulgaria for the title in a one-off match in Sofia, which the Netherlands lost.

Notable players

Results and fixtures 2017–2019

2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Qualification

Group stage

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the match against Cyprus on 10 September 2019. Names in italics denote players who have been capped for the Senior team.
Caps and goals updated as 10 September 2019. Clubs updated as of 10 September 2019

Recent call ups

The following players have previously been called up to the Netherlands under-21 squad in the last year and remain eligible.
INJ Withdrew due to injury.

PRE Preliminary squad.

SEN Accepted call up to senior team.

Individual all-time records

Most capped players

#PlayerCareerMatchesGoals
1Arnold Bruggink1995 – 19993115
1Leroy Fer2009 – 2013316
3Daniël de Ridder2004 – 2007301
4Niels Oude Kamphuis1996 – 2000282
5Roy Makaay1994 – 19982715
5Mark van Bommel1996 – 2000273
7Kiki Musampa1996 – 2000258
7Arnold Kruiswijk2003 – 2007250
9Georginio Wijnaldum2009 – 20132410
10Daley Blind2009 – 2013230
10Klaas-Jan Huntelaar2002 – 20062318
10Bram Nuytinck2010 – 2013232
10Marco van Ginkel2011 – 2014234
10Tonny Vilhena2013 – 2016234
Last updated: 29 May 2014

Most goals scored

#PlayerCareerGoalsMatchesAverage
1Klaas-Jan Huntelaar2002 – 200618230.78
2Roy Makaay1994 – 199815270.56
2Arnold Bruggink1995 – 199915310.48
4Género Zeefuik2011 – 201210120.83
4Georginio Wijnaldum2009 – 201310240.42
6Vincent Janssen2014 – 20158100.80
6Kiki Musampa1996 – 20008250.32
8Edwin Bakker1984 – 1985771.00
8Ronald de Boer1989 – 1992790.78
8Quincy Promes2013 – 20147100.70
Last updated: 17 November 2015