June 10, (THEWILL) – The Netherlands delivered a commanding 8-0 victory over Malta at FC Groningen’s Euroborg stadium on Tuesday evening, maintaining their perfect start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. The match marked Oranje’s first appearance in Groningen since 1983, when they defeated Iceland 3-0 in a European Championship qualifier. Ronald Koeman, who earned his second international cap in that 1983 fixture, returned to his hometown as manager to oversee what became the Netherlands’ largest victory since their 11-0 triumph over San Marino in 2012.
Memphis Depay wrote his name into Dutch football history during the opening half-hour, scoring twice to equal Robin van Persie’s all-time national record of 50 goals. The Corinthians striker converted a penalty in the 14th minute following a foul on Xavi Simons, then added his milestone goal seven minutes later when Denzel Dumfries’ cross found him unmarked in the penalty area. Captain Virgil van Dijk, another Groningen native, extended the lead to 3-0 in the 21st minute with a powerful strike past Malta goalkeeper Henry Bonello.
The second half brought further misery for Malta as the Netherlands added five more goals to complete the rout. Xavi Simons converted Depay’s precise through-ball in the 61st minute before substitute Donyell Malen made an immediate impact, scoring within two minutes of his introduction. The Aston Villa forward then turned provider for Noa Lang’s sixth goal and completed his own brace with a solo effort that found the top corner with clinical precision.
Tottenham defender, Micky van de Ven, capped the scoring spree with a half-volleyed finish in stoppage time, claiming his first international goal in emphatic fashion. The comprehensive victory reduces the gap to Group leaders Finland to just one point, though the Finns have played two additional fixtures. Malta, meanwhile, remain without a point from their opening qualifying matches and face an uphill battle to compete in a group containing several European heavyweights.
The Netherlands will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in September with fixtures against Poland and Lithuania, both scheduled to take place during the next international window. Koeman’s side now boasts a perfect record of three wins from three matches, having scored 14 goals whilst conceding none.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
