Frustration in Rotterdam: Netherlands Held to 1-1 Draw by Resilient Poland

Netherlands missed a golden chance to take control of Group G in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a determined Poland side at De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam.

It all started well for Ronald Koeman’s men. In the 28th minute, right-back Denzel Dumfries rose highest to head home a sharp corner from Memphis Depay, giving the Dutch an early lead and sending the home fans into celebration.

But the second half told a different story. Poland grew into the match, and with ten minutes left on the clock, Matty Cash silenced the crowd with a rocket of a finish from the edge of the area, levelling the score in dramatic fashion.

The Netherlands, despite dominating large stretches of the game, failed to convert further chances and were ultimately made to pay for their lack of cutting edge in the final third.

The result sees both teams locked on seven points in Group G, although the Dutch still have a game in hand — a slim advantage that could prove vital in the race for direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA World Cup 2026, Qualifiers

Netherlands - Poland 1:1 (1:0)
Goals: Dumfries, 28 (1:0); Cash, 80 (1:1)

Netherlands: Verbruggen; van Hecke (de Vrij, 87); van Dijk; van de Ven; Dumfries; de Jong F. (Timber Q., 84); Simons Xavi (Malen, 79); Gravenberch R.; Reijnders; Depay (Weghorst, 78); Gakpo
Substitution: Weghorst (from 78); Malen (from 79); Timber Q. (from 84); de Vrij (from 87)
Bench: Roefs; Flekken; Timber J.; Ake; de Ligt; Schouten; Lang N.; Kluivert

Poland: Skorupski; Wiśniewski; Bednarek; Kiwior; Cash; Zielinski P. (Kapustka, 71); Kaminski J.; Slisz; Szymanski S. (Grosicki, 71); Zalewski (Wszolek, 71); Lewandowski (Świderski, 64)
Substitution: Świderski (from 64); Kapustka (from 71); Wszolek (from 71); Grosicki (from 71)
Bench: Grabara; Drągowski; Kędziora; Ziolkowski; Pyrka; Piotrowski; Frankowski; Buksa