For a nation that so often looks calm on the ball, the Netherlands keep finding stormy weather from 12 yards. Sofascore data shows the Oranje have lost their last three World Cup penalty shootouts. The run stretches from the 2014 semifinals to the 2022 quarterfinals and the 2026 round of 32. The scorelines and the statistics around them tell a consistent story about chance creation, game state, and conversion under pressure.

Three straight shootouts, three exits

The sequence starts in 2014: Netherlands 0-0 Argentina, Argentina progressing 4-2 on penalties in the semifinals. Eight years later the same opponent prevailed again, this time after a 2-2 draw and a 4-3 shootout win in the 2022 quarterfinals. The latest chapter came in 2026 against Morocco, a 1-1 draw that ended 3-2 to the Atlas Lions in the round of 32. In total, the Netherlands converted seven penalties across the three shootouts, while opponents converted eleven. The margins in the 2014 and 2022 ties were one or two kicks, but the pattern is hard to ignore. These defeats arrived after very different matches: one cagey stalemate in São Paulo, one chaotic comeback in Lusail, and one possession battle lost in 2026. Yet each ended in the same place, with the Oranje walking away second best from the spot. If you trace the numbers in each game, you see how the shootouts were set up long before the first kick from 12 yards.

2014 vs Argentina: control without the breakthrough

Over 120 minutes in the 2014 semifinal, the Netherlands saw 56% of the ball and completed 689 passes to Argentina’s 540. They attempted 7 shots to Argentina’s 6 and created one big chance to the Albiceleste’s two. It was balanced and tense, with both teams posting 4 corner kicks. The fouls count leaned Dutch at 15 to 10, while tackles read 24 to 19. Goalkeepers were rarely beaten for position, with the stats listing four saves for the Netherlands to one for Argentina. Yellow cards were limited too, two for the Netherlands and one for Argentina. When it came to penalties, the Oranje found little joy. Ron Vlaar, who earned an 8.0 Sofascore Rating as Player of the match for a commanding defensive display, saw his opening effort saved, and Wesley Sneijder also had a kick stopped. Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt scored, but Argentina were flawless through Lionel Messi, Ezequiel Garay, Sergio Agüero and Maxi Rodríguez, winning 4-2.

2022 vs Argentina: late surge, but Albiceleste own the chances

The quarterfinal in 2022 had a very different rhythm. The Netherlands rallied from two goals down through Wout Weghorst on 83 minutes and again at 90+11 to force extra time. Before that, Nahuel Molina scored on 35 minutes and Lionel Messi converted a 73rd-minute penalty. The underlying numbers tilt heavily toward Argentina despite the final score. Argentina led expected goals 1.92 to 0.55 and outshot the Netherlands 14 to 6. They also earned 8 corner kicks to 2 and forced 3 saves from the Dutch goalkeeper while facing none. The Netherlands had more possession at 52% and attempted slightly more passes, 634 to 602, but it came with 30 fouls to Argentina’s 18 and a near-even tackle count at 18 to 19. In the shootout, Argentina converted four to the Netherlands’ three. The list of Dutch takers included Virgil van Dijk, Steven Berghuis, Teun Koopmeiners, Wout Weghorst and Luuk de Jong, with de Jong’s fifth attempt recorded as a low-centre goal. Messi, who was named Player of the match with a 9.2 Sofascore Rating, again stood central to the outcome. The comeback was dramatic; the chance quality gap was just as telling.

2026 vs Morocco: possession flip and Dutch struggle in chance creation

The 2026 round of 32 brought a different landscape and another shootout. The Netherlands scored first through Cody Gakpo on 72 minutes, only to concede a 90+1 equaliser to Issa Diop. Over the full 120 minutes the Oranje had only 30% possession, with Morocco holding 70% and circulating the ball for 878 passes to 373. The xG gap was clear as well: 1.40 for Morocco to 0.23 for the Netherlands. Morocco created 5 big chances to 1 and took 11 shots to the Dutch 6. The Netherlands relied on their goalkeeper to the tune of 5 saves, while Morocco’s keeper was not listed with a save in open play. Corners read 8 to 5 in Morocco’s favour, with fouls close at 15 to 18 and tackles 19 to 18. In the shootout, Morocco prevailed 3-2. Dutch takers were Teun Koopmeiners, Justin Kluivert, Wout Weghorst, Quilindschy Timber and Crysencio Summerville. Summerville’s fifth penalty, a right-footed effort to the high left, was saved, summing up a night where margins and momentum leaned away from the Netherlands.

What repeats in the numbers?

Across the three World Cup ties, the Netherlands regularly held meaningful spells of possession, but the chance ledger often leaned the other way. In 2014 the balance was close, and the stalemate was fair, yet Argentina created more big chances and finished flawlessly from the spot. In 2022 the data showed a sharper Albiceleste attack, with superior xG, more shots, and more corners, while the Netherlands needed a late surge to reach penalties at all. In 2026 the Oranje were second best in most attacking metrics and did a lot of defending, which often drains legs before a shootout. Penalty conversion tells a compact story too: 2 successful kicks in 2014, 3 in 2022, and 2 in 2026. Opponents found four in both Argentina shootouts and three for Morocco, a consistent edge where it matters most. Discipline also played a background role, with higher Dutch foul counts in 2014 and 2022, and again in 2026 by a small margin, which fed set-piece pressure. Sofascore’s match pages place those moments into context, from Vlaar’s 8.0 Sofascore Rating in 2014 to Messi’s 9.2 in 2022, alongside shot maps and xG that mirror how each tie unfolded. Add it up, and the Oranje’s shootout story is less about luck and more about the groundwork laid across 120 minutes.

Sofascore remains the place to compare those small details across tournaments, from penalty outcomes to pass totals and chance maps. For the Netherlands, the path to ending this run likely starts before the next shootout even begins: create more, concede less, and keep calm when the walk to the spot finally arrives.