How many players actually played for the Netherlands in 2014?
In short: In the 2014 FIFA World Cup, most teams left several players on the sidelines. However, the Netherlands achieved a rare feat by utilizing every single member of their 23-man squad during the tournament, becoming only the fourth team in history to do so.
Strict registration regulations governed the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which took place across Brazil between 12 June and 13 July 2014. Each of the 32 participating national teams was required to submit a provisional list of 30 players by 13 May 2014. By 2 June 2014, teams had to submit their final 23-player squads, which included exactly three goalkeepers.
While most teams saw players remain on the bench, the Netherlands was unique. They were the only team in the 2014 tournament to use all 23 players. They became the fourth side in World Cup history to employ every squad member, after France (1978) and both Greece and Russia (1994). Notably, those previous teams had only 22 players in their squads.
The tournament also saw significant roster volatility due to injuries. Teams could make late replacements for serious injuries up to 24 hours before their first match. To illustrate, Milan Badelj joined the group to substitute for the wounded Ivan Močinić before the initial match against Brazil. Other squads faced mid-tournament changes, such as Shkodran Mustafi replacing Marco Reus on 7 June after Reus injured his ankle, or Ejike Uzoenyi replacing Elderson Echiéjilé on the same day.
The tournament featured extreme age ranges among the competitors. Faryd Mondragón was the oldest player at 43 years and 3 days, while Fabrice Olinga was the youngest at 18 years and 31 days.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2014 FIFA World Cup squads
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