Xavi named Netherlands coach in four-year deal through 2030 World Cup

Appointment

Xavi Hernandez has been appointed head coach of the Netherlands national team, the Dutch football federation (KNVB) announced on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. The 46-year-old Spaniard signed a four-year contract through the 2030 World Cup, replacing Ronald Koeman, who resigned on 30 June, the day after the Netherlands were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup round of 32 by Morocco on penalties (1-1, 2-3 in the shootout). Xavi becomes the first foreign coach to lead the Netherlands since Austrian Ernst Happel at the 1978 World Cup, and the first Spanish coach in the team's history. He takes charge of a national team for the first time in his career.

Search and candidates

The KNVB's six-week search drew criticism from Dutch media. The federation had preferred a Dutch coach and was frequently linked with Arne Slot, but received rejections from both Slot and Erik ten Hag before turning to Xavi. Roberto Martínez, who left the Portugal national team after the 2026 World Cup, had also been considered a leading candidate but lost out to the Catalan. Xavi had been out of coaching since leaving Barcelona in 2024 and had been linked with clubs including Manchester United and Ajax before indicating he would prefer a national team role.

Playing and coaching career

Xavi made his Barcelona debut in 1998 under Louis van Gaal and won four Champions League titles (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015) as a player. He was a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final. As a coach, he began at Al Sadd in Qatar in 2019 before succeeding Koeman at Barcelona in November 2021, winning La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in 2023. He left Barcelona at the end of the 2023-2024 season after losing the league to Real Madrid and being eliminated in the Copa del Rey and Champions League quarter-finals. His teammates at Barcelona included Dutch internationals Frank and Ronald de Boer, Marc Overmars, and Patrick Kluivert.

Philosophy and mandate

The KNVB has tasked Xavi with restoring the dominant, attractive style associated with Dutch football's 'Total Football' era that began in 1974. The negative approach and poor performance in the World Cup round of 32 against Morocco were described as a low point. Nigel de Jong, the KNVB's director of top football, said Xavi's football vision aligns with how the federation wants the national team to play.

As a coach he has been shaped by years of working with top coaches who convey a football vision that connects very well with the way we want to play with the Dutch national team: taking initiative, dominant and attractive football, combined with the flexibility that modern top football demands.

Xavi emphasised his connection to Dutch football through the Barcelona academy's influences from Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels.

You could say that I am a bit of a son of Dutch football. I consider it a tremendous honour to become the national coach of the Dutch national team.

Upcoming fixtures

Xavi's first match in charge will be against Germany in the Nations League on 24 September. The Netherlands play four Nations League matches in the September-October international window, facing Germany, Serbia twice, and Greece. His broader mandate includes building towards the European Championship in 2028 and the World Cup in 2030. The Netherlands, three-time World Cup finalists, have not reached a World Cup quarter-final since 2014, when they finished third.