Analyst hits back hard after painful but clear statistics: “Totally done with it”

They are in fact very painful but also clear statistics to mention. For the Netherlands national team, the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada has become a very painful birth. Especially now that a few clear statistics have come to light.

The Netherlands national team and the players of Ronald Koeman's squad, during the 2026 World Cup, covered the shortest distances among all 48 participating countries. At the table on De Oranjezomer, Hugo Borst calls the statistic 'shandalig', while Noa Vahle believes that the KNVB should investigate why the squad came up physically short at the final tournament. Football-loving Netherlands has had enough of the performances of the Netherlands national team.

According to figures from ESPN, the Netherlands averaged only 99.9 kilometers per match. As a result, the team of the now-departed national coach Ronald Koeman finished at the bottom of the ranking of all World Cup participants. The distance to number 47 Qatar (102.4 kilometers) is also strikingly large. In addition, when it comes to sprints and so-called high-speed runs, Oranje was among the lowest-scoring countries. In short, scandalous figures and statistics that were already clearly visible with the naked eye during the matches of the Netherlands national team in the United States and Mexico.

For the chest, the figures confirm the feeling that has been growing stronger since the dismissal. "With retroactive effect, I’m genuinely getting more and more fed up with the Netherlands national team. The Netherlands national team has managed to cover the fewest meters of all the participants. Don’t you find that outrageous?"

According to ESPN, the numbers don't automatically tell the whole story, but football-loving Netherlands—including the bulk of the analysts and journalists—sees it differently. Noa Vahle also looks beyond the statistics. "This of course can't be the case. But I think it's something that has to come from the players themselves. I think the KNVB and Nigel de Jong need to make a plan: how do you ensure that the players, after such a draining season, are fit for a final tournament? Other countries have managed that better."

Hugo Borst cannot make sense of it with his mind that the players of Oranje have accomplished this. Borst speaks of a matter of mentality. According to the criticaster, Oranje lacks the absolute drive to give everything. "What are we fighting for in the Netherlands? We’re doing so well! You have to have something to fight for. It’s not only that you want to win a match, but you also play, for instance, to take revenge on another country."