Netherlands suffer 1-0 warm‑up defeat to Algeria ahead of World Cup 2026
The Dutch national team lost 1‑0 to Algeria in a pre‑World Cup friendly at De Kuip, Rotterdam. Anis Hadj Moussa, who came on as a substitute, scored the winning goal in the 86th minute.
Coach Ronald Koeman described the loss as a "wake‑up call" and said the team became "sloppier" after the break, warning against panic and stressing the need to tighten up before the tournament. He noted missed chances from Donyell Malen, Memphis Depay and others, and emphasized that the upcoming match against Uzbekistan will help decide the line‑up for the opening World Cup fixture against Japan.
The defeat draws criticism from Dutch media, which called the performance disappointing and highlighted poor defensive work by Mats Wieffer. The team will travel to the United States on Thursday for the start of their World Cup preparations.