Holland have taken part in the WC qualifiers 14 times and qualified to the finals on seven occasions. In 1974 and 1978 the Dutch reached the FIFA World Cup final.

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In the Germany 1974 final, they took an early lead but succumbed 2-1 to the hosts Germany. In 1978, the host nation again stole glory from them. Argentina won 3-1.

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Frequently among the favourites for the World Cup, Holland have repeatedly failed to live up to their promise. They came closest in 1998, but after a thrilling semi-final, lost the penalty shoot-out against Brazil.