The Dutch entered the match knowing there was still work to be done to confirm their spot at next summer’s tournament, and they looked intent on settling any nerves early. Cody Gakpo almost opened the scoring inside the first few minutes when he flicked a near-post free-kick towards goal, only for Edvinas Gertmonas to parry smartly.

The breakthrough arrived shortly after the 15-minute mark. Frenkie de Jong pounced on a loose ball high up the pitch and fed Tijjani Reijnders, who faced a tight angle and an onrushing goalkeeper. The Manchester City midfielder showed superb composure, lofting the ball into the far top corner to give Ronald Koeman’s side a deserved lead.

The hosts continued to threaten as Donyell Malen flashed a dangerous ball across the box and Virgil van Dijk saw a powerful header pushed away by the impressive Gertmonas. Reijnders nearly doubled his tally with an outside-of-the-boot strike that skimmed just past the post, while Lithuania struggled to pose any attacking threat of their own. Gertmonas again kept the scoreline respectable before the break, reacting quickly to deny Jurrien Timber at the back post.

Lithuania introduced Markas Beneta at half-time, and he made an immediate impact with an important defensive block to prevent what looked like a certain tap-in for the Dutch. Despite being second-best throughout, the Trispalviai remained just one goal behind and even created a half-chance of their own through Tomas Kalinauskas, whose effort was held by Bart Verbruggen.

But any lingering hope of an upset faded rapidly as the Netherlands erupted with three goals in the space of five minutes. A VAR review penalised Edgaras Utkus for handball, allowing Gakpo to calmly convert from the spot. Moments later, the Liverpool forward turned supplier for Xavi Simons, who danced past two Lithuanian defenders before firing home.

The scoring frenzy continued when Malen produced a brilliant solo run and finish, effectively ending the contest and sparking celebrations throughout the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Lithuania had no answer and ultimately suffered a fifth defeat in what has been a winless qualifying campaign. The Netherlands, meanwhile, confirm their place at the 2026 World Cup, securing back-to-back tournament appearances after missing out in 2018, and will head to North America with confidence on the rise.