Dutch memories of the glory of the 1998 World Cup

The Netherlands had a chance to be in the 1/8 finals of the 2026 World Cup, but after losing to Morocco they had to return home. Today's team does not resemble the one that once delighted the world with its offensive style of play, for example during the 1998 World Cup. Those were the times when Johan Derksen wrote his famous columns. In an issue from that year, he couldn't hide his enthusiasm after a 2-1 victory over Argentina, praising Guus Hiddink's team.  In 1974, the Netherlands had the best squad of all time, but four years later, without Johan Cruijff and Willem van Hanegem, it was a much weaker Oranje. In 1988, thanks to Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Ronald Koeman, Frank Rijkaard and Jan Wouters, the Netherlands had a strong team again. In 1998, Oranje did not rely on a few exceptional talents, but had the best squad in history. Guus Hiddink had a group that could take on anyone, which gave him the luxury of coping even in the face of penalties and injuries. The '98 generation has already won a place in history, delighting with its originality and self-confidence. During the quarterfinals of the 1998 World Cup, the Netherlands, despite a difficult situation in the match against Argentina, managed to achieve one of the most beautiful victories in their history. Although the Argentines equalized and the Netherlands played weaker, it was not Argentina but the Netherlands that could celebrate a great victory. --- ## Related Articles 1. [Thierry Henry elogio' la squadra di Capo Verde ai Mondiali 2026](https://azzurrigoal.com/it/news/thierry-henry-elogio-la-squadra-di-capo-verde-ai-mondiali-2026) 2. [چطور مسابقه سوئیس - الجزایر را تماشا کنیم: زمان، کانال (https://parsgoal.live/fa/news/--279)