The 2026 KNVB Cup final was the final match of the 2025–26 KNVB Cup, the 108th season of the annual Dutch national football cup competition. The match took place between AZ and NEC on 19 April 2026 at De Kuip, Rotterdam.
AZ defeated NEC 5–1 in the final and qualified for the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League and the Johan Cruyff Shield 2026 due to winning the KNVB Cup.
Teams Team Previous final appearances (bold indicates winners) AZ 8 (1978, 1981, 1982, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2025) NEC 5 (1973, 1983, 1994, 2000, 2024)
The final is contested by the losing teams of the two previous editions of the KNVB Cup final. AZ lost to Go Ahead Eagles on penalties a year prior and NEC lost the 2024 final 1–0 to Feyenoord. In total, AZ played in eight previous finals, winning four, whereas no club played as many finals without winning one as NEC, losing all their five previous finals.
Route to the final
In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away). AZ Round NEC Opponent Result 2025–26 KNVB Cup Opponent Result Bye First round Rijnsburgse Boys (III) 3–2 (A) PEC Zwolle (I) 3–1 (A) Second round AFC (III) 3–1 (A) Ajax (I) 6–0 (H) Round of 16 De Treffers (III) 2–1 (A) Twente (I) 2–1 (H) (a.e.t.) Quarter-finals Volendam (I) 1–0 (H) Telstar (I) 2–1 (H) Semi-finals PSV (I) 3–2 (H)
Match
GK 1 Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro RB 22 Elijah Dijkstra CB 3 Wouter Goes CB 5 Alexandre Penetra LB 34 Mees de Wit CM 8 Jordy Clasie CM 26 Kees Smit CM 6 Peer Koopmeiners RW 10 Sven Mijnans ST 9 Troy Parrott LW 27 Ro-Zangelo Daal Substitutes: GK 12 Hobie Verhulst GK 41 Jeroen Zoet DF 2 Seiya Maikuma DF 15 Mateo Chávez DF 18 Rion Ichihara DF 23 Billy van Duijl DF 30 Denso Kasius MF 20 Kasper Boogaard FW 7 Weslley Patati FW 17 Isak Jensen FW 24 Ayoub Oufkir FW 35 Mexx Meerdink FW 45 Bendegúz Kovács Manager: Lee-Roy Echteld GK 22 Jasper Cillessen CB 14 Eli Dasa CB 3 Philippe Sandler CB 24 Deveron Fonville RM 25 Sami Ouaissa CM 23 Kodai Sano CM 6 Darko Nejašmić LM 11 Başar Önal AM 10 Tjaronn Chery AM 20 Noé Lebreton ST 30 Bryan Linssen Substitutes: GK 1 Gonzalo Crettaz DF 2 Brayann Pereira DF 4 Ahmetcan Kaplan DF 5 Thomas Ouwejan DF 15 Jetro Willems DF 17 Bram Nuytinck MF 19 Willum Þór Willumsson MF 71 Dirk Proper FW 7 Virgil Misidjan FW 9 Danilo FW 18 Koki Ogawa FW 34 Youssef El Kachati Manager: Dick Schreuder
Assistant referees: Hessel Steegstra Jan de Vries Fourth official: Allard Lindhout Video assistant referee: Rob Dieperink Assistant video assistant referee: Robin Hensgens
References