The 25 Best Dutch Players of All Time—Ranked

Few nations have stamped their identity on world football as indelibly as the Netherlands. From the kaleidoscopic movement of Total Football in the 1970s to the possession-based tiki-taka that followed, Dutch ingenuity has repeatedly redrawn the sport’s tactical map. Executing that vision, generation after generation, has required footballers of rare versatility and nerve. Here, Sports Illustrated counts down the 25 greatest Oranje talents ever to pull on the famous orange shirt.

25. Faas Wilkes A trail-blazer between the mid-1940s and early 1960s, the Inter and Valencia marksman found the net 35 times in 38 internationals—numbers that remain staggering whatever the era.

24. Marc Overmars The flying winger’s 17 goals in 86 caps only tell half the story; his direct running was a constant outlet across four major tournaments.

23. Patrick Kluivert Forty goals in 79 games, the national-record until 2015, included a Euro 2000 Golden Boot haul of five. Quick, powerful and ice-cold in front of goal, Kluivert tormented defenders on home soil that summer.

22. Edgar Davids Nicknamed “The Pitbull,” the goggled midfield terrier blended relentless pressing with refined technique, earning 74 caps of high-octane influence.

21. Memphis Depay In 2025 the striker surpassed Robin van Persie to become the all-time leading scorer for the Netherlands, adding ruthless tournament finishing to a club résumé featuring PSV, Lyon, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.

20. Frank de Boer A ball-playing defensive cornerstone of the 1998 World Cup semifinalists, De Boer’s 112 caps were built on elegant distribution and tactical intelligence.

19. Phillip Cocu A century of appearances (101) underlines Cocu’s understated value, whether screening the back line or stepping in at centre-half with trademark composure.

18. Giovanni van Bronckhorst The reliable left-back’s 14-year, 106-cap career peaked with a memorable 2010 semifinal rocket against Uruguay, propelling the Dutch to their third World Cup final.

17. Ruud van Nistelrooy Averaging a goal every two games (35 in 70), the clinical finisher earned a place in the Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament despite occasional friction with coaches.

16. Wesley Sneijder No Dutchman has more caps (134) and few have dictated play so exquisitely. The attacking midfielder’s 31 goals place him just outside the nation’s top 10 scorers.

15. Willem van Hanegem Feyenoord’s pass-master, crowned Dutch Footballer of the Year in 1971, orchestrated play with sweeping diagonals that became his signature during the fabled 1974 World Cup run.

14. Ruud Krol An ever-present in both the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals, the Ajax left-back was named to the Team of the Tournament each time while collecting three European Cups at club level.

13. Edwin van der Sar Comfortable with the ball at his feet long before it was fashionable, the towering keeper’s reflexes and shoot-out heroics earned a national-record 130 caps.

12. Jaap Stam A bruising yet technically adept centre-back who could also fill in at right back, Stam locked down opposing forwards across 67 internationals and three major tournaments.

11. Robin van Persie The second-highest scorer (50 in 102) is immortalised by his gravity-defying header against Spain in 2014, a goal still replayed in World Cup montages worldwide.

10. Clarence Seedorf The first player to lift the Champions League with three different clubs translated that winning pedigree to the national side, steering the Oranje to three successive semifinals during his 87-cap tenure.

9. Arjen Robben Blistering pace and that trademark cut-in move produced 37 goals for the Netherlands, including vital strikes in the 2010 World Cup run that ended in the final.

8. Virgil van Dijk The modern prototype centre-half—dominant aerially, composed on the ball, natural leader—has collected Premier League titles and a Champions League medal while marshalling the Dutch back line.

7. Ronald Koeman A free-kick assassin and ball-playing defender, Koeman scored the semi-final winner against West Germany and sealed the 1988 European Championship with a long-range strike in the 2-0 final triumph.

6. Johan Neeskens The tireless box-to-box engine of the 1974 and 1978 finals sides, Neeskens combined grit with technique and could deputise anywhere on the pitch.

5. Dennis Bergkamp Renowned for balletic control and vision, the Arsenal great tallied 37 goals in 79 matches, none more memorable than his last-second winner versus Argentina in France ’98.

4. Frank Rijkaard Koeman’s defensive partner at Euro ’88, Rijkaard’s blend of strength and elegance allowed him to step seamlessly into midfield, a versatility that proved pivotal in West Germany that summer.

3. Ruud Gullit The dreadlocked captain scored in the Euro ’88 final and embodied Total Football, excelling as striker, winger or sweeper with equal flair and authority.

2. Marco van Basten Three Ballons d’Or, a tournament-winning volley for the ages, and a hat-trick versus England: Van Basten’s 1988 Golden Boot campaign remains the benchmark for Dutch strikers.

1. Johan Cruyff The iconic No. 14, inventor of the Cruyff Turn and spiritual father of Total Football, scored 33 goals in 49 internationals and forever changed how the world thinks about space, speed and style.

From Cruyff’s revolutionary artistry to Depay’s modern-day record-breaking, these 25 players trace the arc of Dutch brilliance—an enduring testament to a nation that keeps teaching the world new ways to play.