Finland take on the visitors Netherlands in a qualification match of FIFA World Cup 2026. The match will be played on Saturday, June 7th at Helsinki Olympic Stadium (Helsinki).
Finland enters a new era. The "Owls" spent many years under the guidance of Markku Kanerva. It was Kanerva who gradually elevated the national team, turning them from perennial underdogs into Euro debutants — and they even qualified directly for that tournament. Early last year, there was hope of using the Nations League path again, but they were thrashed 1-4 by Wales in their very first playoff match. What followed was a complete collapse: in the autumn Nations League campaign, they lost all matches — not just against England, but also against Greece and Ireland. That disastrous run marked the end of Kanerva’s tenure. His successor, Friis, made his debut in March and left mixed impressions. While they managed a scrappy away win over Malta, they followed it up with a disappointing 2-2 home draw against Lithuania — a result that left fans underwhelmed. The team is in a transitional phase, and it shows in both tactics and confidence.
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The Netherlands bounced back from a relatively long slump by delivering several solid tournament runs. Louis van Gaal's squad was narrowly eliminated by eventual champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup — a match that went all the way to penalties. At last year’s Euro, they reached the semifinals, only to be undone by a last-minute goal from England. Before that, Ronald Koeman had his own struggles with squad consistency and form. The most recent Nations League campaign brought a mixed outcome: in a group with Germany, Hungary, and Bosnia, the Dutch finished a clear second. In March, they came tantalizingly close to upsetting Spain. They drew both legs with the Spaniards, scoring freely but ultimately losing in a penalty shootout, where Unai Simón was the hero. Despite that, the Netherlands have looked sharp in attack and far more composed tactically than in previous years.
The teams have met 11 times since their first encounter at the 1912 Olympics. Finland managed just one draw — in 1991 — and lost all the other matches. The visitors are clearly the stronger side, and home-field advantage won't bridge the quality gap. Back Koeman’s team to win with a -1.5 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Netherlands to win with -1.5 handicap.
