Victory is not enough
Lewandowski scores – and still has to worry about the World Cup
November 17, 2025 – 11:25 p.mReading time: 1 min.
The Netherlands celebrate a clear win against Lithuania and can plan for the World Cup finals. An ex-Bayern goalscorer, on the other hand, still has to worry.
The Netherlands confidently qualified for the 2026 World Cup on the last matchday of qualifying. Coach Ronald Koeman’s team won 4-0 (1-0) against Lithuania in Amsterdam, making everything mathematically clear.
Tijjani Reijnders (16th minute) gave “Oranje” an early lead. After the break, Cody Gakpo (58th), Xavi Simons (60th) and Donyell Malen (62nd) decided the game with three goals within four minutes. Despite the comfortable starting position, Koeman relied on his regular players – the plan worked. The Netherlands finished qualifying with a three-point lead and a significantly better goal difference over Poland.
At the same time, Poland won 3-2 (1-1) on Malta, but still has to go to the playoffs. Robert Lewandowski (32nd), Paweł Wszołek (59th) and Piotr Zieliński (85th) scored for the Polish team, which ultimately had to rely on help. Irvin Cardona (36th) and Teddy Teuma (68th, penalty kick) temporarily equalized. However, the result did not change the table constellation.