Netherlands Defeat Finland 2-0 in World Cup Qualifier

The Netherlands began their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 away victory against Finland, courtesy of early goals from Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries. Depay opened the scoring within six minutes after capitalizing on a defensive mistake, bringing him just two goals shy of the Netherlands' all-time scoring record held by Robin van Persie. Dumfries doubled the lead with a precise finish from a Cody Gakpo cross, marking his 10th goal for the national team. The Dutch team dominated the match in terms of shots and expected goals, maintaining control throughout and moving to third place in Group G behind Poland and Finland. This win puts the Netherlands in a strong position as group winners qualify directly for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while the second-placed team enters a playoff for additional qualification spots. Finland, despite holding four points from three matches, could not prevent the defeat in Helsinki.