In a chaotic and dramatic final warm-up before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Netherlands edged past Uzbekistan with a 2–1 victory at Icahn Stadium. The match, which served as the first-ever senior international meeting between the two nations, proved to be an intense final rehearsal for both sides.
A Tale of Two Penalties
Cody Gakpo stole the show, marking his 50th international appearance with two coolly taken penalties. The Dutch took the lead in the 32nd minute after Crysencio Summerville drew a foul in the box, allowing Gakpo to slot home from the spot.
Despite dominating much of the proceedings, the Netherlands struggled to find a second goal, with Brian Brobbey seeing an effort ruled out for offside. The game turned on its head in the 86th minute when Guus Til was shown a straight red card for a handball that denied a goalscoring opportunity.
Uzbekistan immediately made their numerical advantage count. With the match deep in stoppage time, Igor Sergeev pounced on a loose ball to equalize in the 92nd minute, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The Decisive Moment
Just when it seemed the spoils would be shared, the drama reached its peak. Deep in the 98th minute, Jan Paul van Hecke was fouled inside the area, earning the Netherlands a second penalty. Gakpo stepped up once again, keeping his nerve to secure a 2–1 win in the dying seconds.
Key Match Takeaways
Squad Fitness: Ronald Koeman used the match to manage player workloads, including replacing goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen in the 66th minute due to an injury concern.
Statistical Superiority: The Dutch finished with an expected goals (xG) total of 4.62 compared to Uzbekistan’s 0.99, illustrating their attacking dominance despite the close scoreline.
Tournament Ready: While the result was a positive ending to their preparation, the match highlighted a lingering lack of clinical edge that Koeman will look to address before the World Cup kicks off.
The Netherlands now turn their full attention to the World Cup, hoping to carry the momentum—and the lessons learned—into their opening group stage fixtures.