Patrick Kluivert, the former Netherlands striker, has shared his predictions for the Oranje, led by Ronald Koeman, at the 2026 World Cup, which is set to take place next summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Dutch sit in Group F alongside Sweden, Japan and Tunisia, and will open their campaign against Japan on 14 June.
The Netherlands have never won the World Cup, despite reaching the final three times.
Kluivert himself played in the 1998 tournament with a golden generation; the Oranje came within sight of the final, only to be eliminated by Brazil on penalties in the semi-finals, a match in which the former striker found the net.
Overall, he earned 79 caps, scoring 40 goals and providing seven assists.
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In his interview with Koora, Kluivert predicts the winner of El Clásico and the Champions League.
When asked about the Netherlands’ World Cup prospects, Kluivert told Koora, “The Dutch national team is very strong right now. According to the FIFA rankings, they are in the top six, and with the quality of players and their clubs, I see them reaching the quarter-finals if everything goes well.”
He added, “With Argentina, Brazil, Spain and France in the mix, the Netherlands are one of the teams to watch out for at the World Cup. I think they could reach the quarter-finals at the very least.”
The Dutch national team reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, but were narrowly eliminated by Argentina. Lionel Messi’s side prevailed on penalties after a 2–2 draw through 120 minutes.
Asked who might win the 2026 World Cup, the former Dutch star replied: “It’s hard to pick just one, but Argentina, France and Brazil are all strong. Still, I think France have a good chance.”
When asked who might finish as the tournament’s top scorer, he replied, “It could be Harry Kane (England striker).”
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Read Kluivert’s full interview with Koora:
Kluivert told Koora that the Morocco-Senegal final was “strange”, praised Marmoush as a “brilliant signing” for Barcelona, and questioned why Salah should not join.