From the concept of Total Football of the 1970s to the European champions of 1988 and a selection of 21st-century greats, there is certainly no shortage of great footballers to have come from the Netherlands. Not only has the country produced a plethora of fantastic players in its history – but its conveyor belt of coaches and their famous way of playing is also why it’s considered to be one of the greatest footballing nations on the planet.

From the likes of the mesmerising Johan Cruyff to midfield general Clarence Seedorf to goal-hungry defender Ronald Koeman, the list of the greatest Dutchmen to lace their boots up is endless. But who are the best players in the nation’s history?

To answer exactly that, GIVEMESPORT have assessed all the icons and have ranked the top 20 players in the Netherlands’ rich history, whittling down the extensive shortlist using several factors which you can find out below.

Ranking factors

• International achievements (honours, appearances, goals, assists, etc)
• Club achievements (honours, appearances, goals, assists, etc)
• Individual awards
• Legacy within football circles – both international and club level
• Importance to the Netherlands’ success

20

Faas Wilkes

Faas Wilkes is widely regarded as one of the greatest Dutch footballers of all time, not only because of his extraordinary talent, but because he helped transform Dutch football long before the era of Total Football. In the 1940s and 1950s, Wilkes became one of the first Dutch players to achieve international success abroad, starring for clubs in Italy and Spain at a time when Dutch football was still largely amateur.

His influence reached far beyond his own career. Johan Cruyff famously admired Wilkes growing and probably had posters of him on his bedroom wall. That admiration speaks volumes of his formative success: the man who would later revolutionise football himself first looked up to Faas Wilkes, the pioneer who paved the way for Dutch greatness. He netted 35 goals in just 38 appearances for the Oranje, representing his country over a 15-year international career.

19

Wesley Sneijder

The Netherlands’ most-capped player, Wesley Sneijder is a true Dutch legend. So close to World Cup glory in 2010, the former Inter midfielder earned an incredible 134 caps for the Oranje over 17 years. A supreme technician in the No. 10 role, his 31 goals leave him just shy of his nation’s top 10 scorers.

It’s easy to forget just how talented Sneijder was in his prime, producing brilliant moments for the Netherlands at major tournaments, while his versatility meant he could play pretty much anywhere in attack. His let down was that he was injury prone, and he lost his pace very early into his career.

18

Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie is the Netherlands’ second-highest goalscorer of all time, scoring 50 goals in 102 appearances for the Oranje. Gifted with a wand-like left foot and extraordinary technical elegance, ‘RVP’ was the attacking heartbeat of the Dutch side that came agonisingly close to World Cup glory in 2010, featuring in every match as the Netherlands reached the final in South Africa.

While his career was filled with moments of brilliance, his most iconic contribution on the international stage came not from his left foot, but from his head. In the Netherlands’ memorable 5-1 destruction of reigning champions Spain at the 2014 World Cup, the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker produced one of the greatest goals in World Cup history – gravity-defying diving header that looped over the goalkeeper and into the net.

17

Jaap Stam

Jaap Stam, the former PSV, Manchester United, Lazio and AC Milan defender, won the UEFA Club Defender of the Year award in two consecutive seasons for the Red Devils, in 1999 and 2000, and thus features high up on the list of the greatest Champions League defenders of all time following his involvement in a treble-winning side.

Besides his club contributions, though, the domineering centre-back was every bit the bully strikers feared coming up against. As far as weaknesses went, ‘The Rock of Kampen’ had no discernible Achilles heel. Though strong in the tackle, as he was in the air, Stam was noted for always finishing games with a clean pair of white shorts, proving just how immense he was at his peak.

16

Edwin van der Sar

By virtue of being Netherland’s second most-capped player after turning out 130 times for Oranjes, Edwin van der Sar endured a commendable 21-year international career and is worthy of his place on this list among his compatriots. Achieving numerous successes at club level, too, with Ajax and Manchester United, Van der Sar hardly put a glove wrong.

Widely considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history, the imposing frame of the Dutchman – married with his exceptional shot-stopping skills – made him a reliable figure between the posts for the Red Devils.

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Holding the Premier League record for the longest streak without conceding a goal, his Old Trafford stint was littered with a host of silverware: the solitary Champions League, four league titles and two League Cup triumphs to list a few. A true Dutch icon.

15

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Yet another former Red Devil to feature on this list, Ruud van Nistelrooy was the epitome of a flying Dutchman during his Premier League years, and would no doubt feature much higher among the competition’s all-time greats, had it not been for Real Madrid poaching him after five seasons which brought about 95 goals.

Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Nistelrooy was the top scorer in three Champions League seasons and is the all-time Dutch top goalscorer in the competition’s history with 56 goals. He has also been the top scorer in three European domestic leagues, and continues to work as the Oranje’s assistant coach.

14

Rob Rensenbrink

Rob Rensenbrink earned the nickname “Het Slangenmens” – the Snake Man – because of his slender frame and remarkable ability to slither out of the tightest spaces, gliding past defenders with elegance and unpredictability. A dazzling winger with superb balance and close control, Rensenbrink became a vital figure in the Netherlands’ revolutionary Total Football sides of the 1970s.

He played a crucial role in the Dutch teams that reached consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, helping establish the Netherlands as one of the most exciting sides in world football. In the 1978 final against Argentina, he came agonisingly close to winning the tournament for the Oranje when his late shot struck the post. Rensenbrink was also the first winner of the prestigious Onze d’Or award in 1976, recognition of his status as one of Europe’s finest players during a golden era for Dutch football.

13

Piet Keizer

Piet Keizer won six Eredivisie titles, five KNVB Cups, three European Cups (all consecutively), two European Super Cups, and an Intercontinental Cup, forming a crucial part of the 1970s Ajax dynasty. Although frequently compared to his teammate Johan Cruyff, Keizer was considered “Cruyff before Cruyff” and was, for a time, the pre-eminent force on the left wing for both club and country.

Often described as a magician, like any great winger from the past or present, he was a highly creative left-winger known for his ability to dictate play and dribble past defenders with his signature “scissor” move. Keizer would swing one foot in a circular motion around the ball to fake a movement in one direction before explosively pushing the ball the other way, and no matter how often he pulled that trick off, it still bamboozled his opponents.

12

Willem van Hanegem

Considered one of the greatest Dutch footballers in history, Willem van Hanegem earned the nickname ‘De Kromme’ (‘The Crooked One’ or ‘The Bent One’), initially due to his posture as a consequence of bow legs and later because of his trademark bent passes in midfield which were unlike anything those in the Netherlands had ever seen before.

A playmaker of the highest order, the midfield mover and shaker won both the European Cup and UEFA Cup with Feyenoord to become a club icon to this day, while he – like many others on this list – was also part of the Dutch squad that made it to the 1974 World Cup final.

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11

Virgil van Dijk

While Virgil van Dijk’s longevity is no match for some of the Netherlands’ all-time greats, the Liverpool centre-back is a modern icon. Finishing runner-up in the 2019 Ballon d’Or vote after famously not being dribbled past all in that calendar year, he boasts every attribute needed to be a defender at the elite level – a real Rolls-Royce at the back.

He has not had the luxury of playing in some of the great Dutch teams of the past, but he would comfortably slot into most of them. A two-time Premier League winner (having captained his side to glory in the 2024/25 campaign), as well as a Champions League victor, the colossal central defender rightly ranks among the greatest of all time in his position.