MTNFootball

Despite being one of the best football nations in the world with hordes of talented players who have passed through their ranks, the Oranje are yet to win football’s ultimate prize. Netherlands biggest triumph on the world stage came in 1988 when they managed to clinch the UEFA European Championship.

Netherlands have, however, come close to winning the Jules Rimet Trophy. In the 1970’s they were by far the best team on the planet, but still the World Cup accolade eluded them. The 1970’s was a period during which they were twice FIFA World Cup finalists, but on both occasions they fell short.

In fact their losses at the last hurdle in 1974 and 1978 represent Dutch football's two most glorious, and painful, moments from their eight FIFA World Cup participations. In West Germany in 1974, the Dutch side led by the imperious Johan Cruyff exhibited an ultra-modern brand of football.

In the final, they opened the scoring as early as the first minute, before being floored by two knockout blows from the host nation. Four years later, fate was against them again in the final, as an Argentine side roared on by an entire nation eventually prevailed 3-1 in extra time.

Since then, Netherlands supporters have been yearning to see their team reach another FIFA World Cup Final. Yet despite regularly ranking among the pre-tournament favourites, they have repeatedly fallen short.

In 1990, for example, a side packed with such world-class stars as Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman, Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit seemed destined for glory before slumping out in the second round at the hands of a German side that went on to lift the trophy. In 1998 in France, Netherlands lost out on penalties at the end of a bewitching semi-final encounter with Brazil.

Then, in 2006, after a flawless qualification campaign which saw Netherlands boast ten wins and two draws, the Dutch nation thought their terrible run at a World Cup was bound to end. But that was not the case as their side was knocked out of the tournament after a last 16 loss to Portugal.

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