Netherlands drop to eighth in FIFA ranking as coach search drags on

Netherlands slide to eighth in FIFA ranking

Spain are top. Your team have slipped further, down to eighth in the latest FIFA world ranking (1). The direction is clear and it is not good. Two months before the next international window, the KNVB still have no permanent head coach in place (2).

That Fair Play Award stings

FIFA handed the Netherlands the World Cup Fair Play Award. It went down about as well as you would expect. The award was effectively between Oranje and Argentina, and one Dutch outlet called it a parting kick from FIFA after a tournament that ended painfully early (3) (6).

Weghorst speaks out, gets backing

Wout Weghorst gave an open interview about the disappointing World Cup campaign, and the response has been warm. "Let's be honest..." was the tone, and former pros Ali Boussaboun and Robert Maaskant were among those who backed him on a podcast this week (4).

Paredes red card: four years too late

A Dutch podcast did not hold back on Leandro Paredes, who finally saw a red card at this World Cup. The line: Paredes got the red card he should have had four years ago against the Netherlands (2). Closure, of a sort.

Netherlands Women set Hungary playoff date

The Netherlands Women now know their first-round playoff date for the World Cup. Hungary await, with the fixture now locked in (5).