On June 8, in a match in Group G of the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers, the Netherlands defeated Finland 2-0 away from home, winning their first victory of the tournament. Depay and Dumfries each scored, earning the Netherlands three valuable points and making a good start for the team's road to promotion.

The Netherlands broke the deadlock just 7 minutes into the game. Finnish defender Kalinin's attempt to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper in the penalty area accidentally turned into an " own goal assist " . Depay alertly grabbed the ball and quickly adjusted, and shot with his right foot to help the Netherlands take a 1-0 lead. After scoring, Depay boosted morale, and the Orange Army began to take the initiative on the field.

Afterwards, the Netherlands continued to put pressure on Finland. Frimpong, Depay and Dumfries made shots one after another, but they were all blocked by the Finnish goalkeeper or defense, and failed to expand the score advantage. However, in the 24th minute , Gakpo made a brilliant cut inside from the left and sent a precise cross. Dumfries inserted into the back post without being marked and easily pushed the ball into the net, scoring another goal for the Netherlands and rewriting the score to 2-0 .

Before the end of the first half, the Netherlands maintained a two-goal lead and controlled the tempo. In the second half, although Finland tried to launch a counterattack, the overall ball possession and opportunities were still in the hands of the Netherlands. Although the Netherlands created many offensive opportunities, it was a pity that the final shot was a bit impatient and failed to change the score again.

In the end, the Netherlands defeated Finland 2-0 and won all three points , making a good start for the World Cup qualifiers. The team's offensive and defensive performances were solid, especially Depay and Dumfries on the front line showed excellent form .

In another match in Group G , Malta drew 0-0 with Lithuania at home and earned their first points in this qualifying tournament; while Lithuania ended up drawing in two consecutive group matches and is still looking for its first victory.

Currently, the Netherlands is at the top of the group standings thanks to this victory. In the next matches, whether the Orange Army can continue to perform stably and successfully advance to the World Cup finals is worth waiting for.