Eredivisie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Eredivisie

Organising body	KNVB
Founded	1956; 69 years ago (1956)
Country	Netherlands
Confederation	UEFA
Number of teams	18 (since 1966–67)
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Eerste Divisie
Domestic cup(s)	KNVB Cup Johan Cruyff Shield
International cup(s)	UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League
Current champions	PSV (26th title) (2024–25)
Most championships	Ajax (36 titles)
Most appearances	Pim Doesburg (687)
Top goalscorer	Willy van der Kuijlen (311)
TV partners	ESPN & NOS

The Eredivisie is the top professional football league in the Netherlands. It is also known as VriendenLoterij Eredivisie because of its sponsor. The league was started in 1956. This was two years after professional football began in the Netherlands. As of the 2024–25 season, it is ranked as the sixth-best league in Europe by UEFA.

The Eredivisie has 18 clubs. Each club plays every other club twice during the season. They play once at home and once away. At the end of each season, the two clubs at the bottom are moved down to the second level. This second level is called the Eerste Divisie (First Division). The champion and runner-up from the Eerste Divisie are automatically moved up to the Eredivisie. The club that finishes third from the bottom in the Eredivisie plays in special play-off games. These games are against six high-placed clubs from the Eerste Divisie.

The team that wins the Eredivisie becomes the Dutch national champion. Ajax has won the most titles with 36. PSV Eindhoven is next with 26 titles. Feyenoord follows with 16 titles. Since 1965, these three clubs have won almost all Eredivisie titles. Only three times did other teams win. AZ won in 1981 and 2009. Twente won in 2010. Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord are known as the "Big Three" of Dutch football. They are the only clubs that have never been moved down from the Eredivisie.

Over the years, the league has had different names due to sponsors. From 1990 to 1999, it was called PTT Telecompetitie. Then it changed to KPN Telecompetitie in 1999 and KPN Eredivisie in 2000. From 2002 to 2005, it was the Holland Casino Eredivisie. Since the 2005–06 season, the league has been sponsored by Vriendenloterij. From the 2025-2026 season, the league is officially called VriendenLoterij Eredivisie.

In August 2012, it was announced that Rupert Murdoch bought the rights to the Eredivisie for 12 years. This deal was worth one billion euros. It started in the 2013–14 season. As part of this deal, the five biggest Eredivisie clubs received five million euros each year. In 2020, the Eredivisie season was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

History of Dutch Football

From 1898 to 1954, the Dutch national football championship was decided by play-off games. These were played by a few clubs that had won their regional leagues. Football was purely an amateur sport back then. The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) did not allow players to be paid. Players who received money were suspended from playing.

The idea of professional football grew in the early 1950s. Many national team players left to play abroad for money. The KNVB usually suspended these players. This stopped them from playing for the Dutch national team. After a big flood in 1953, Dutch players who played abroad organized a charity match. They played against the French national team in Paris. The KNVB tried to stop this match. But the Dutch players won 2–1. This showed the Dutch public how good professional football could be.

To meet this growing interest, a new professional football group was started. It was called the NBVB. They created their own league for the 1954–55 season. On July 3, 1954, the KNVB met with amateur club leaders. These leaders were worried that their best players would join the professional teams. This meeting led to the KNVB finally allowing semi-professional football.

Both the KNVB and the NBVB started their own competitions. The first professional football match was between Alkmaar and Venlo. After eleven rounds, the two groups decided to merge in November. Both leagues were cancelled, and a new combined league started right away. Some clubs from the NBVB joined the new league. Other clubs merged, creating new teams. The first semi-professional league was won by Willem II.

For the 1956–57 season, the KNVB stopped the regional league system. The Eredivisie was founded. The 18 best clubs from all over the country played directly for the league title. They did not have play-offs. Ajax was the first team to win the Eredivisie title that season.

Number of Teams Over Time

• 18 clubs: 1956–1962
• 16 clubs: 1962–1966
• 18 clubs: 1966–present

Current Eredivisie Teams (2024–25)

^* Willem II finished first and FC Groningen finished second in the 2023–24 Eerste Divisie. NAC finished 8th and defeated Excelsior in the playoff final. ^a Founding member of the Eredivisie
^b Never been relegated from the Eredivisie
^c Founding member of the Eredivisie (as Sportclub Enschede)
^d Founding member of the Eredivisie (as VV DOS and USV Elinkwijk)

Team Locations on a Map

League Champions

This table shows all winners of the top Dutch football division. This includes the Netherlands Football League Championship, which was before the Eredivisie. The Eredivisie itself only started in 1956. So, many of these teams won titles before the Eredivisie existed.

Club	Winner	Runner-up	Winning years
Ajax	36	24	1917–18, 1918–19, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1946–47, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22
PSV	26	16	1928–29, 1934–35, 1950–51, 1962–63, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2023–24, 2024–25
Feyenoord	16	22	1923–24, 1927–28, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1973–74, 1983–84, 1992–93, 1998–99, 2016–17, 2022–23
HVV Den Haag	10	1	1890–91, 1895–96, 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1906–07, 1909–10, 1913–14
Sparta Rotterdam	6	–	1908–09, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1912–13, 1914–15, 1958–59
RAP	5	3	1891–92, 1893–94, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1898–99
Go Ahead Eagles	4	5	1916–17, 1921–22, 1929–30, 1932–33
Koninklijke HFC	3	3	1889–90, 1892–93, 1894–95
Willem II	3	1	1915–16, 1951–52, 1954–55
HBS Craeyenhout	3	–	1903–04, 1905–06, 1924–25
AZ	2	3	1980–81, 2008–09
Heracles	2	1	1926–27, 1940–41
ADO Den Haag	2	–	1941–42, 1942–43
RCH	2	–	1922–23, 1952–53
NAC Breda	1	4	1920–21
Twente	1	3	2009–10
DWS	1	3	1963–64
Roda JC Kerkrade*	1	2	1955–56
Be Quick	1	2	1919–20
FC Eindhoven	1	2	1953–54
SC Enschede	1	1	1925–26
DOS	1	1	1957–58
Den Bosch	1	1	1947–48
De Volewijckers	1	–	1943–44
Haarlem	1	–	1945–46
Limburgia	1	–	1949–50
SVV	1	–	1948–49
Quick Den Haag	1	–	1907–08
VV Concordia	1	–	1888–89

^* As Rapid JC.

Playoffs and What They Mean

European Competition Playoffs

These playoffs decide which teams get to play in big European tournaments.

Relegation Playoffs

These playoffs decide which teams stay in the Eredivisie or move down to the Eerste Divisie.

Fan Attendance

Many people love to watch Eredivisie games!

Since the league began, three clubs have had much higher attendance than others: Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord. Clubs like Heerenveen, Utrecht, and Groningen also have many fans. The average league attendance was just over 7,000 in 1990. This number has grown a lot over the years. This is thanks to new stadiums and bigger existing ones. The average attendance for the 2018–19 season was 18,010. Ajax had the most fans (52,987), and Excelsior had the fewest (4,223).

Player Records

Most Games Played

These players have played the most games in the Eredivisie.

Rank	Name	Games	Playing position	First match	Last match
1	Pim Doesburg	687	Goalkeeper	1962–63	1986–87
2	Jan Jongbloed	684	Goalkeeper	1959–60	1985–86
3	Piet Schrijvers	576	Goalkeeper	1963–64	1984–85

Most Goals Scored

These players have scored the most goals in the Eredivisie.

Rank	Name	Goals	Games	Goals per game	Playing position	First goal	Last goal
1	Willy van der Kuijlen	311	545	0.57	Forward	1964–65	1981–82
2	Ruud Geels	266	392	0.68	Forward	1964–65	1983–84
3	Johan Cruijff	216	309	0.70	Forward	1964–65	1983–84
4	Kees Kist	212	372	0.57	Forward	1972–73	1983–84
5	Tonny van der Linden	208	456	0.46	Forward	1956–57	1966–67

Top Scorers Each Season

The player who scores the most goals in a season wins the Willy van der Kuijlen Trophy. This list is updated after the 2024–25 season.

Season	Top Scorer(s)	Goals	Club(s)
1956–57	Coen Dillen	43	PSV
1957–58	Leo Canjels	32	NAC
1958–59	Leo Canjels (2)	34	NAC
1959–60	Henk Groot	37	Ajax
1960–61	Henk Groot (2)	55	Ajax
1961–62	Dick Tol	27	Volendam
1962–63	Pierre Kerkhoffs	22	PSV
1963–64	Frans Geurtsen	28	DWS
1964–65	Frans Geurtsen (2)	23	DWS
1965–66	Willy van der Kuijlen Piet Kruiver	23	PSV Feyenoord
1966–67	Johan Cruyff	33	Ajax
1967–68	Ove Kindvall	28	Feyenoord
1968–69	Dick van Dijk Ove Kindvall (2)	30	Twente Feyenoord
1969–70	Willy van der Kuijlen (2)	26	PSV
1970–71	Ove Kindvall (3)	24	Feyenoord
1971–72	Johan Cruyff (2)	25	Ajax
1972–73	Cas Janssens Willy Brokamp	18	NEC MVV
1973–74	Willy van der Kuijlen (3)	27	PSV
1974–75	Ruud Geels	30	Ajax
1975–76	Ruud Geels (2)	29	Ajax
1976–77	Ruud Geels (3)	34	Ajax
1977–78	Ruud Geels (4)	30	Ajax
1978–79	Kees Kist	34	AZ
1979–80	Kees Kist (2)	27	AZ
1980–81	Ruud Geels (5)	22	Sparta
1981–82	Wim Kieft	32	Ajax
1982–83	Peter Houtman	30	Feyenoord
1983–84	Marco van Basten	28	Ajax
1984–85	Marco van Basten (2)	22	Ajax
1985–86	Marco van Basten (3)	37	Ajax
1986–87	Marco van Basten (4)	31	Ajax
1987–88	Wim Kieft (2)	29	PSV
1988–89	Romário	19	PSV
1989–90	Romário (2)	23	PSV
1990–91	Romário (3) Dennis Bergkamp	25	PSV Ajax
1991–92	Dennis Bergkamp (2)	24	Ajax
1992–93	Dennis Bergkamp (3)	26	Ajax
1993–94	Jari Litmanen	26	Ajax
1994–95	Ronaldo	30	PSV
1995–96	Luc Nilis	21	PSV
1996–97	Luc Nilis (2)	21	PSV
1997–98	Nikos Machlas	34	Vitesse
1998–99	Ruud van Nistelrooy	31	PSV
1999–2000	Ruud van Nistelrooy (2)	29	PSV
2000–01	Mateja Kežman	24	PSV
2001–02	Pierre van Hooijdonk	24	Feyenoord
2002–03	Mateja Kežman (2)	35	PSV
2003–04	Mateja Kežman (3)	31	PSV
2004–05	Dirk Kuyt	29	Feyenoord
2005–06	Klaas-Jan Huntelaar	33	Heerenveen/Ajax
2006–07	Afonso Alves	34	Heerenveen
2007–08	Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (2)	33	Ajax
2008–09	Mounir El Hamdaoui	23	AZ
2009–10	Luis Suárez	35	Ajax
2010–11	Björn Vleminckx	23	NEC
2011–12	Bas Dost	32	Heerenveen
2012–13	Wilfried Bony	31	Vitesse
2013–14	Alfreð Finnbogason	29	Heerenveen
2014–15	Memphis Depay	22	PSV
2015–16	Vincent Janssen	27	AZ
2016–17	Nicolai Jørgensen	21	Feyenoord
2017–18	Alireza Jahanbakhsh	21	AZ
2018–19	Luuk de Jong Dušan Tadić	28	PSV Ajax
2019–20	Steven Berghuis Cyriel Dessers	15	Feyenoord Heracles Almelo
2020–21	Giorgos Giakoumakis	26	VVV-Venlo
2021–22	Sébastien Haller	21	Ajax
2022–23	Anastasios Douvikas Xavi Simons	19	Utrecht PSV
2023–24	Luuk de Jong (2) Vangelis Pavlidis	29	PSV AZ
2024–25	Sem Steijn	24	Twente

Eredivisie Teams and Big European Cups

Eredivisie teams have won many important international football tournaments. Here are 16 of them:

• 1970 European Cup Final – Feyenoord
• 1970 Intercontinental Cup – Feyenoord
• 1971 European Cup Final – Ajax
• 1972 European Cup Final – Ajax
• 1972 Intercontinental Cup – Ajax
• 1973 European Cup Final – Ajax
• 1973 European Super Cup – Ajax
• 1974 UEFA Cup Final – Feyenoord
• 1978 UEFA Cup Final – PSV
• 1987 European Cup Winners' Cup Final – Ajax
• 1988 European Cup Final – PSV
• 1992 UEFA Cup Final – Ajax
• 1995 UEFA Champions League Final – Ajax
• 1995 UEFA Super Cup – Ajax
• 1995 Intercontinental Cup – Ajax
• 2002 UEFA Cup Final – Feyenoord

The UEFA Super Cup was created by a Dutch reporter named Anton Witkamp. Ajax's win in 1973 was the first time this tournament was officially played.

Sponsorship Names Over the Years

The Eredivisie has had different names because of its sponsors:

• Eredivisie (1956–1990)
• PTT-Telecompetitie (1990–1999)
• KPN-Telecompetitie (1999–2000)
• KPN Eredivisie (2000–2002)
• Holland Casino Eredivisie (2002–2005)
• Eredivisie (2005–2025)
• VriendenLoterij Eredivisie (2025–present)

See also

In Spanish: Eredivisie para niños

• Eerste Divisie
• KNVB Cup
• Johan Cruyff Shield
• List of Dutch football champions
• List of foreign players in the Eredivisie
• List of sports attendance figures – Eredivisie in a global context