Netherlands were back. Missing from the previous edition, they had last graced the World Cup in 1998. Under Marco van Basten, they were ready to write the next chapter.
Netherlands showed enough quality to navigate the group stage, but their campaign ended in the knockout rounds before the latter stages. Their defence proved to be the backbone of the campaign, conceding just 2 goals in 4 outings.
Netherlands emerged from the group stage unbeaten, showing resilience in a tough opening round. In the knockout rounds, they were narrowly knocked out by Portugal in the Round of 16. The narrowest of defeats against Portugal ended what had been a promising tournament run.
2won1drawn1lost
3scored2conceded
Conceded just 2 in 4 matches failed to score in 2 of 4 matches.
Ruud van Nistelrooy led Netherlands's attack with 1 goal at the 2006 World Cup. Shared the top-scorer honours with Robben and Persie, all with 1.
14yellow2red
4.0per match
2 red cards across the tournament 5 cards in knockout matches.
The tactical mind behind Netherlands's 2006 campaign. Leading Netherlands at his first World Cup 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss under Basten.
Under Marco van Basten's guidance, the Dutch team employed an aggressive counter-attacking strategy that caught many opponents off guard. Their pace and skill were a major threat to their adversaries as they struggled to contain them throughout the tournament.
