The Netherlands finished third in the World Cup in 2014, and the Dutch made a strong recovery afterward. The Netherlands failed to qualify for two successive major championships, with the best result coming in the quarter-finals of the previous World Cup, where they were ousted by penalty kicks from Argentina, the eventual title winner.

So far, the Netherlands has won one European Championship, in 1988, under the leadership of the legendary Mark Van Basten. The Netherlands hosted the Euro near the close of the previous millennium but were ousted in the semi-finals. At the last Euro, the Netherlands was also one of the hosts, but the competition halted before the knockout phase ever began. A strong World Cup performance might herald the Dutch awakening.