Soccer Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Group G - Netherlands v Lithuania - Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands - November 17, 2025 Netherlands' Tijjani Reijnders celebrates scoring their first goal with Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Ligt, and teammates REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman has lauded the potential of his squad after they secured a World Cup qualification on Monday but insisted they demand more from each other if they are to succeed at next year's finals.
He has high expectations for the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., “because there's so much quality in this squad,” he said following the 4-0 win over Lithuania that secured top place in their qualifying group.
"We simply have a great squad. There's a lot of competition, and you can see that again with the players coming on (as substitutes). These are difficult choices, because there's so much quality."
Competition in the squad is vital to try and bring the best out of all, he added.
"If we tighten our expectations on each other a little bit, to make each other even bigger, stronger, and better, then a lot is possible.
"(Captain) Virgil (van Dijk) plays a role in that, Frenkie (de Jong) plays a role in that, Memphis (Depay) plays a role in that. That's the core of our team. Nathan (Ake), Denzel (Dumfries) … they're experienced guys who have been playing at the highest level for years and therefore know what's expected of them.
"When young players come in, you need leadership. And that can't always come from the coach," Koeman added.
"We talk about that regularly. We can and must improve on that, demanding even more from each other because if you don't believe there's more to it, there's no point."
He said there was enormous potential for the Dutch who now wait for next month’s draw to see who they will face at the finals in June.
"This squad can play so well, so that’s why it's sometimes difficult to accept that mistakes are made, because if you make those mistakes during a World Cup, you might just end up going home.
“And that would be a shame, because this is a great squad in terms of quality,” he added.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
