Lithuanian football is set for a historic evening as the national team prepares to face the Netherlands for the very first time in FIFA World Cup qualifying. The match kicks off at 19:00 local time at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, with nearly 900 traveling Dutch supporters expected in the stands.
Lithuania have made a steady, if modest, start to their qualifying campaign, collecting three points from four games. After opening with a narrow defeat away to Poland, they drew three consecutive matches—2–2 against Finland, 0-0 away in Malta, and most recently a 1–1 home draw against Malta just three days ago.
In those four fixtures, Lithuania scored three goals, two of which came from their undisputed leader, Gvidas Gineitis. The Torino midfielder has been the difference-maker, netting a late equalizer against Finland and converting a penalty to rescue a point against Malta.
Coach Edgaras Jankauskas praised his team’s effort after the Malta draw: “The boys gave everything. It was a tough fight, with plenty of provocation from the visitors. We knew their style and prepared for it. Of course, we wanted more, but at least we avoided defeat. Unfortunately, we should have scored earlier.”
Tonight, however, the challenge could not be greater. The Netherlands arrive with seven points from three matches, most recently held to a 1-1 draw by Poland in Amsterdam. Inter defender Denzel Dumfries who scored the only goal in game against Poland addressed the media in Kaunas: “Playing against a new country is always special. The infrastructure here is excellent. For us, it’s not about how many goals we score – it’s about taking three points and qualifying for the World Cup.”
Head coach Ronald Koeman echoed that sentiment while warning his squad against complacency: “Lithuania are physically strong and very organized in defense. They don’t concede goals for no reason. They proved against Poland that they give away very few chances. If we don’t score early, it can be a difficult match.” Koeman also highlighted Gineitis as Lithuania’s standout player, even if he admitted not recalling the midfielder’s name.
The Dutch will be without a key figure, as Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong misses out due to injury. Koeman explained: “He wasn’t feeling comfortable against Poland, so I substituted him in the 75th minute. He wasn’t ready for this match, and we didn’t want to take any risks.”
Lithuania, meanwhile, are also shorthanded. Defenders Artemijus Tutyškinas (suspension for yellow card accumulation) and Edgaras Utkus (red card) are both unavailable. In their place for the first time FA Šiauliai player Nojus Stankevičius was called up to the national team. Jankauskas remained optimistic despite the absences: “It’s not worth focusing on who is missing. We look at it positively. Others will step in, and we’ll support each other. Everyone is ready to fight.”
For Lithuania, the encounter is not only about points in the standings but also about history. Facing one of the giants of world football for the first time, they will step onto the pitch in Kaunas determined to show that they can stand tall against the best.
World Cup 2026 qualifying Group G
| # | Team | GP | W | D | L | PTS |
| 1 | Netherlands | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20 |
| 2 | Poland | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 17 |
| 3 | Finland | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| 4 | Malta | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Lithuania | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
