The Netherlands team that should play at the 2026 World Cup

The Netherlands were knocked out by Argentina on penalties for their second World Cup in a row in 2022, falling at the quarter-final stage.

It was a mixed tournament for the Dutch. They produced some good football against USA and showed real spirit to fight back from 2-0 down against Argentina, but many were left disappointed by the somewhat dull style of play during the rest of the campaign.

There are reasons to think they'll be a more exciting team in four years' time though, with plenty of young talents in their current squad and more waiting in the wings, while many established players won't be too old either.

Here's how we think they could line up in North America at the 2026 World Cup.

The Netherlands' potential 2026 World Cup starting XI

GK: Justin Bijlow - Bijlow started for his country in the World Cup qualifiers but lost his place in the squad after making a poor start to the season at Feyenoord. At the age of 24 though, he should still improve a great deal and make the Oranje number one shirt his own sooner rather than later. Andries Noppert will only be 32 come 2026, but Bijlow has a higher ceiling.

RB: Jeremie Frimpong - Frimpong is currently playing second fiddle to Denzel Dumfries for the Netherlands and is yet to make his international debut, but that will soon change. The defender is looking better and better for Bayer Leverkusen and at this rate it won't be long before he surpasses Dumfries, who is unstoppable on his day but inconsistent and somewhat lacking technically.

CB: Jurrien Timber - Timber is one of the biggest Dutch talents around and already a regular starter for his country at the age of 21. In four years' time, he should be heading to the World Cup in his prime as one of the top defenders in the world and one of the Netherlands' best players, although he can't take anything for granted with Sven Botman around the same age and impressing in the Premier League.

CB: Matthijs de Ligt - There's every chance Virgil van Dijk will still be going strong at the age of 34 in 2026, but a bigger chance that De Ligt will be a better player by then. A change of system didn't suit him in Qatar but De Ligt's showing at Bayern Munich that he's one of the best centre-backs around in a back four. It's scary to think just how good he should be four years from now; so good that he'll surely start even if Van Dijk ages well, with Timber more likely to drop out for the Liverpool man should that be the case.

LB: Nathan Ake - With Daley Blind soon turning 33, the Netherlands' left-back spot is set to open up, and Ake is best placed to take it. He was arguably his nation's best player in Qatar playing on the left of a back three and could be the ideal left-back in a back four. With Frimpong or Dumfries bombing forward on the other side, the player on the left will have to be disciplined, defensively strong and able to pick out a pass from deep, giving Ake the edge over Tyrell Malacia.

CM: Teun Koopmeiners - The spot next to Frenkie de Jong has been one that three Netherlands managers have struggled to fill, but Koopmeiners should claim it in the next few years. The midfielder has struggled to replicate his club performances for Atalanta at international level but has all the attributes needed to be the ideal partner for De Jong. That can't really be said for Ryan Gravenberch or Kenneth Taylor, both of whom are huge talents but a little similar to the Barcelona man.

CM: Frenkie de Jong - De Jong is already the first name on the Netherlands teamsheet and will be again in 2026 barring any injuries or a huge drop in form. There's a sense the Barcelona midffielder has yet to reach his peak and yet he's still one of the best central midfielders in the world, which says it all.

RW: Xavi Simons - There are plenty of exciting young Dutchmen coming through right now and none more so than Simons. At the age of 19, the PSV player is taking the Eredivisie by storm and has been so good that he was selected in the World Cup squad despite never playing international football and only playing a handful of matches in senior football as a whole. It's unclear what his best position is yet, but with RW being a weak area for the Netherlands, he's probably most likely to play there.

CAM: Cody Gakpo - The only young Dutch player being spoken about more than Simons right now is Gakpo following his stunning start to the season at PSV and his three World Cup goals. He's set to move to a big club in the coming months, and if that transfer works out, will be a Netherlands stalwart for years to come. He lacks the explosiveness to be a top winger at the highest level but has everything needed to be a lethal shadow striker, as they'd call it in the world of Football Manager.

LW: Memphis Depay - How good Memphis will be at the age of 32 is unclear, but given how important he's been to his nation for almost half a decade, he should remain in the starting XI if the next four years aren't a disaster for him. If things don't go well, Arnaut Danjuma could come in or Gakpo could play on the left with Gravenberch as the number ten.

ST: Brian Brobbey - What the Netherlands need more than anything is a top out-and-out striker, and they could be about to get one in Brobbey. He has eight goals in 10 starts for Ajax this season and will only get better at just 20. Donyell Malen and Josh Zirkzee are others worth keeping an eye on, but Brobbey looks most likely to be the number nine the Dutch have been crying out for since Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar hung up their boots.