2010 Netherlands Away – Wesley Sneijder #10 M

The 2010 FIFA World Cup was an iconic tournament for the Netherlands, and especially for Wesley Sneijder, who had the best year of his career. Wearing the famous orange home kit, Sneijder led the Dutch national team all the way to the World Cup Final, finishing as one of the tournament’s top scorers and a serious contender for the Golden Ball (Best Player Award).

🏆 Netherlands’ 2010 World Cup Journey

• Group Stage:

  • ✅ Netherlands 2-0 Denmark

  • ✅ Netherlands 1-0 Japan

  • ✅ Netherlands 2-1 Cameroon

• Round of 16: ✅ Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia

• Quarterfinals: ✅ Netherlands 2-1 Brazil (Sneijder scored twice)

• Semifinals: ✅ Netherlands 3-2 Uruguay (Sneijder scored again)

• Final: ❌ Netherlands 0-1 Spain (Lost after extra time)

The Dutch won every match until the final, playing a more pragmatic style compared to their traditional “Total Football.” Sneijder was absolutely central to their success, scoring 5 goals in the tournament.

⚽ Wesley Sneijder’s Impact in 2010

• Total World Cup Goals: ⚽ 5 goals (Joint-top scorer with Villa, Forlán, Müller)

• Key Contributions:

  • 2 goals vs. Brazil in the quarterfinal (including the winning header)

  • Scored the opener vs. Uruguay in the semifinal

• Style: Sneijder played as an advanced midfielder, acting almost as a second striker at times, combining vision, passing range, and deadly shooting.

• Awards:

  • Silver Ball (2nd best player of the tournament)

  • Bronze Boot (3rd top scorer, based on minutes played)

  • Included in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team

Outside the national team, Sneijder also had just won the historic treble with Inter Milan (Serie A, Coppa Italia, Champions League) earlier in 2010.

🟠 2010 Netherlands Squad

Goalkeepers

• Maarten Stekelenburg

• Michel Vorm

• Sander Boschker

Defenders

• Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Captain)

• John Heitinga

• Joris Mathijsen

• Khalid Boulahrouz

• Gregory van der Wiel

• André Ooijer

• Edson Braafheid

Midfielders

• Wesley Sneijder

• Mark van Bommel

• Nigel de Jong

• Rafael van der Vaart

• Stijn Schaars

• Demy de Zeeuw

Forwards

• Robin van Persie

• Arjen Robben

• Dirk Kuyt

• Eljero Elia

• Ibrahim Afellay

• Ryan Babel

Manager

• Bert van Marwijk

🔶 Legacy of Sneijder’s 2010 Season

Wesley Sneijder‘s performances in 2010 are considered some of the greatest individual displays in World Cup history. Despite losing to Spain in the final, he elevated the Netherlands to the brink of world champion status and arguably should have won the Ballon d’Or in 2010, as he also led Inter Milan to their treble that same year.

The 2010 Netherlands home kit — bright orange with a simple design and black trim — remains iconic, symbolizing one of the closest moments the Dutch ever came to winning their first World Cup. 🏆🟠