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KNVB Cup facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This article is about the men's competition. For the women's competition, see KNVB Women's Cup.
Quick facts for kids
KNVB Cup
KNVB Cup logo.png
Founded 1898; 127 years ago (1898)
Region Netherlands
Number of teams 110
Qualifier for UEFA Europa League
Johan Cruyff Shield
Current champions Go Ahead Eagles (1st title)
Most successful club(s) Ajax (20 titles)
Television broadcasters ESPN

The KNVB Beker is a big football competition in the Netherlands. It is also known as the Dutch Cup. The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has organized it since 1898. This tournament is like the English FA Cup.

Many football teams play in the KNVB Beker. These include all teams from the top four Dutch football leagues. It also includes 24 teams from six smaller KNVB District Cups. The final match of the tournament usually takes place in De Kuip. This stadium has hosted the final every year since 1989. The team that wins the KNVB Beker gets to play against the winner of the Eredivisie. This match is called the Johan Cruyff Shield. It is like a super cup and starts the next football season.

History of the KNVB Cup

How the Cup Started

The idea for a football cup in the Netherlands began in 1894. A man named H.M.C. Holdert offered a trophy. Seven teams joined, and the first match was on February 11. But many teams quit, and people lost interest. So, the first attempt was canceled.

Four years later, in January 1898, Holdert offered another cup. This time, it was set up like the English FA Cup. The KNVB Cup officially started during a meeting in The Hague. They wanted to start it in the 1897–98 season. But bad weather caused many games to be postponed. So, they had to wait.

The tournament finally began in the 1898–99 season. The very first final was played on May 9, 1899. RAP Amsterdam beat HVV Den Haag 1–0. The winning goal was scored in extra time.

In 1946, the trophy was changed. A new one was made from silver. This was special because silver was hard to find after World War II. This silver trophy is still used today.

Recent Cup History

In 2018, a special gold trophy was made. This was to celebrate the 100th time the tournament was held.

Cup Name Changes

Like many sports competitions, the KNVB Cup's name has changed. This happens when different companies sponsor it. From 1995, it was called the Amstel Cup after Amstel. In 2005, it became the Gatorade Cup after the drinks company Gatorade. Then, in 2006, it went back to being the KNVB Beker. Gatorade stayed as a main sponsor.

On January 12, 2018, TOTO became the new main sponsor. The competition was then called the TOTO KNVB Beker. This name was used until the 2021–22 season.

Playing in European Competitions

Before 1998, the KNVB Cup winner played in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. This was a European tournament. But that tournament stopped. Now, the winner gets to play in the UEFA Europa League. If the winning team already qualified for the UEFA Champions League (a bigger European competition), then another team from the Dutch league gets the Europa League spot.

In 1998, both teams in the KNVB Cup final, Ajax and PSV, had already qualified for the Champions League. So, the two teams that lost in the semi-finals, SC Heerenveen and FC Twente, played a special match. This match decided who would get the Cup Winners' Cup spot.

Past Finals

Season Winners Scorers Result Runners-up Scorers Venue Att.
1898–99 RAP Amsterdam Jan Hisgen Goal 116' 1–0 (aet) HVV Den Haag
1899–1900 [[Velocitas Breda|Velocitas Breda [nl]]] 3–1 Ajax Leiden
1900–01 HBS Craeyenhout 4–3 RAP Amsterdam
1901–02 Haarlem 2–1 HBS Craeyenhout
1902–03 HVV Den Haag 6–1 HBS Craeyenhout
1903–04 HFC 3–1 HVV Den Haag
1904–05 VOC Rotterdam 3–0 HBS Craeyenhout 2
1905–06 Concordia 3–2 AC & VV Volharding
1906–07 VOC Rotterdam 4–3 Voorwaarts
1907–08 HBS Craeyenhout 2 3–1 VOC Rotterdam
1908–09 Quick Den Haag 2 2–0 VOC Rotterdam
1909–10 Quick Den Haag 2 2–0 HVV Den Haag 2
1910–11 Quick Den Haag 1–0 HFC Haarlem
1911–12 Haarlem 2–0 Vitesse
1912–13 HFC 4–1 DFC
1913–14 DFC 3–2 Haarlem
1914–15 HFC 1–0 HBS Craeyenhout
1915–16 Quick Den Haag 2–1 HBS Craeyenhout
1916–17 Ajax 5–0 VSV (Velsen)
1917–18 RCH 2–1 VVA
1918–19 Not played
1919–20 [[CVV Rotterdam|CVV [nl]]] 2–1 VUC Den Haag [nl]
1920–21 Schoten [nl] 2–1 RFC
1921–24 Not played
1924–25 ZFC 5–1 Xerxes
1925–26 LONGA 5–2 De Spartaan
1926–27 VUC Den Haag [nl] 3–1 Vitesse
1927–28 RCH Lourents van der Bend Goal 30' (o.g.)
Barend de Groot Goal 70' (o.g.)		 2–0 PEC Sportpark Berestein 400
1928–29 Not played
1929–30 Feijenoord Jaap Barendregt Goal 1–0 Excelsior
1930–31 Not played
1931–32 DFC 5–4 PSV
1932–33 Not played
1933–34 Velocitas Groningen 3–2 Feijenoord
1934–35 Feijenoord Arie Paauwe Goal
Wim Groenendijk Goal Goal Goal Goal		 5–2 Helmond Drouwen Goal
Van der Velden Goal		 Stadion Kromme Zandweg 12,000
1935–36 [[RFC Roermond|Roermond [nl]]] 4–2 KFC
1936–37 FC Eindhoven 1–0 De Spartaan
1937–38 VSV 4–1 AGOVV
1938–39 FC Wageningen 2–1 PSV
1939–42 Not played
1942–43 Ajax 3–2 DFC Olympic Stadium
1943–44 Willem II 9–2 Groene Ster Jan Louwers
1944–47 Not played
1947–48 Wageningen 0–0
(2–1 p)		 DWV Olympic Stadium
1948–49 Quick 1888 1–1
(2–1 p)		 Helmondia Jan Louwers
1949–50 PSV 4–3 HFC Haarlem De Kuip
1950–56 Not played
1956–57 Fortuna'54 Appel Goal 14' Goal 80' Goal 81'
Angenent Goal 78'		 4–2 Feijenoord Schouten Goal 1'
Aad Bak Goal 42'		 De Kuip 35,000
1957–58 Sparta Bosselaar Goal 8'
Karregat Goal 20' (o.g.)
Geel Goal 38'
Verhoeven Goal 69'		 4–3 FC Volendam Smit Goal 18'
Tol Goal 41'
Smit Goal 70'		 Olympic Stadium 18,000
1958–59 VVV Teeuwen Goal 23'
Sleven Goal 32'
Klaassens Goal 56'
Schatorjé Goal 70'		 4–1 ADO Den Haag Timmer Goal 7' Zuiderpark 25,000
1959–60 Not played
1960–61 Ajax Groot Goal 78' Goal 82' Goal 88' 3–0 NAC Breda – De Meer 16,000
1961–62 Sparta Van Miert Goal 105' 1–0 (aet) DHC Delft – Het Kasteel 12,000
1962–63 Willem II Louer Goal 35'
Aarts Goal 46'
Senders Goal 81'		 3–0 ADO Den Haag – Zuiderpark
1963–64 Fortuna'54 – 0–0
(4–3 p)		 ADO Den Haag – Philips Stadion 10,000
1964–65 Feijenoord Bouwmeester Goal 88' 1–0 Go Ahead – De Kuip 31,000
1965–66 Sparta Madsen Goal 60' 1–0 ADO Den Haag – De Kuip
1966–67 Ajax Cruyff Goal 64'
(Nuninga Goal 99'		 2–1 (aet) NAC Breda Vesters Goal 88' De Meer 21,000
1967–68 ADO Den Haag Schoenmaker Goal 23'
(Aarts Goal 28'		 2–1 Ajax Keizer Goal 48' Zuiderpark 17,500
1968–69 Feijenoord Wery Goal 27' 1–1 (aet) PSV Radović Goal 71' De Kuip 55,000
Van Hanegem Goal 47'
Wery Goal 84'		 Replay
2–0		 – De Kuip 60,000
1969–70 Ajax Keizer Goal 22'
Cruijff Goal 69'		 2–0 PSV – De Vliert 30,000
1970–71 Ajax Cruijff Goal 62' Goal 81' 2–2 (aet) Sparta Kowalik Goal 39'
Visser Goal 74'		 De Kuip 63,154
Mühren Goal 4'
Johan Neeskens Goal 52'		 Replay
2–1		 Walbeek Goal 47' De Kuip 60,068
1971–72 Ajax Cruyff Goal 34'
(Mühren Goal 61' (pen.)
(Keizer Goal 72'		 3–2 FC Den Haag van Eeden Goal 68'
(Mansveld Goal 85' (pen.)		 De Kuip 60,000
1972–73 NAC Breda Bish Goal 10'
Brouwers Goal 75'		 2–0 NEC – De Kuip 45,801
1973–74 PSV Deijkers Goal 10'
(R. van de Kerkhof Goal 40'
(Edström Goal 53'
(van der Kuijlen Goal 51' Goal 58' Goal 90'		 6–0 NAC Breda – De Kuip
1974–75 FC Den Haag Van Leeuwen Goal 67' 1–0 FC Twente – De Kuip
1975–76 PSV Edström Goal 98' 1–0 (aet) Roda JC – De Kuip
1976–77 Twente Drost Goal 96'
(Mühren Goal 105'
(Jeuring Goal 110'		 3–0 (aet) PEC Zwolle – De Goffert 26,000
1977–78 AZ Van Rijnsoever Goal 56' 1–0 Ajax – Olympic Stadium 38,248
1978–79 Ajax Clarke Goal 42' (pen.) 1–1 (aet) Twente Meutstege Goal 14' (o.g.) De Kuip 29,553
Clarke Goal 27'
(Tahamata Goal 47'
(Schoenaker Goal 66'		 Replay
(3–0		 – 29,274
1979–80 Feyenoord Petursson Goal 39' (pen.)
(De Leeuw Goal 71'
(Petursson Goal 75'		 3–1 Ajax Arnesen Goal 19' De Kuip 50,340
1980–81 AZ Tol Goal 24'
(Spelbos Goal 59'
(Nygaard Goal 74'		 3–1 Ajax Vanenburg Goal 53' Olympic Stadium 32,591
1981–82 AZ – 0–1 FC Utrecht Wouters Goal 5' Galgenwaard 10,000
Oberacher Goal 18'
Kist Goal 47' Goal 57' (pen.) Goal 76'
Tol Goal 77'		 5–1 Carbo Goal 27' Alkmaarderhout 12,000
1982–83 Ajax Lerby Goal 47'
Schoenaker Goal 66'
Ophof Goal 86'		 3–1 NEC Mulderij Goal 56' De Meer 7,700
Vanenburg Goal 46' Goal 52'
Cruyff Goal 69'		 3–1 Grim Goal 60' De Goffert 24,000
1983–84 Feyenoord Houtman Goal 72' 1–0 Fortuna Sittard – De Kuip
1984–85 FC Utrecht Van Loen Goal 90' 1–0 Helmond Sport – Galgenwaard 18,000
1985–86 Ajax Bosman Goal 46' Goal 80'
Silooy Goal 67'		 3–0 RBC – De Meer 23,000
1986–87 Ajax Bosman Goal 11' Goal 83'
(van Basten Goal 104' Goal 106'		 4–2 (aet) FC Den Haag Boere Goal 43'
(Morley Goal 66'		 Zuiderpark 8,600
1987–88 PSV Gerets Goal 52' Goal 85'
(Lerby Goal 90+2'		 3–2 Roda JC H. Smeets Goal 22'
(R. Smeets Goal 64'		 Willem II Stadion 8,500
1988–89 PSV Romário Goal 2'
(Ellerman Goal 45' Goal 53'
(Kieft Goal 79'		 4–1 Groningen Meijer Goal 78' De Kuip 9,483
1989–90 PSV Valckx Goal 30' (pen.) 1–0 Vitesse – De Kuip 34,000
1990–91 Feyenoord Witschge Goal 8' 1–0 BVV Den Bosch – De Kuip 52,000
1991–92 Feyenoord de Wolf Goal 28'
(Taument Goal 43'
(Kiprich Goal 53'		 3–0 Roda JC – De Kuip 48,000
1992–93 Ajax Davids Goal 7'
Overmars Goal 45' Goal 89'
Pettersson Goal 71'
Bergkamp Goal 82'
Petersen Goal 87'		 6–2 Heerenveen Regtop Goal 35'
Cămătaru Goal 90'		 De Kuip 45,000
1993–94 Feyenoord Heus Goal 7' (pen.)
(van Loen Goal 80'		 2–1 N.E.C. Dekker Goal 90' De Kuip 43,000
1994–95 Feyenoord Taument Goal 7'
(Obiku Goal 82'		 2–1 Volendam Wasiman Goal 47' De Kuip 48,146
1995–96 PSV Cocu Goal 7'
(Vink Goal 14'
(Veldman Goal 65' (o.g.)
(Jonk Goal 87'
(van der Doelen Goal 90'		 5–2 Sparta Rotterdam van der Meer Goal 45'
(D. de Nooijer Goal 79' (pen.)		 De Kuip 35,000
1996–97 Roda JC Sibon Goal 4'
(Senden Goal 16'
(van der Luer Goal 48'
(Schops Goal 56'		 4–2 Heerenveen Korneev Goal 12'
(Talan Goal 83'		 De Kuip 48,000
1997–98 Ajax Babangida Goal 25'
(Litmanen Goal 38' Goal 61' Goal 84'
(Arveladze Goal 79'		 5–0 PSV – De Kuip 22,500
1998–99 Ajax Grønkjær Goal 12' Goal 15' 2–0 Fortuna Sittard – De Kuip 25,000
1999–2000 Roda JC Peeters Goal 19'
(van der Luer Goal 89'		 2–0 NEC – De Kuip 40,000
2000–01 Twente – 0–0 (aet)
(4–3 p)		 PSV – De Kuip 45,000
2001–02 Ajax Mido Goal 21'
(Wamberto Goal 90'
(Ibrahimović Goal 93'		 3–2 (aet) FC Utrecht Gluščević Goal 56' (pen.) Goal 76' De Kuip 37,000
2002–03 FC Utrecht de Jong Goal 39'
(Gluščević Goal 49' Goal 57'
(Kuyt Goal 81'		 4–1 Feyenoord Kalou Goal 73' De Kuip 45,000
2003–04 FC Utrecht van den Bergh Goal 66' 1–0 Twente – De Kuip 48,000
2004–05 PSV Bouma Goal 45'
(Cocu Goal 51'
(Park Goal 74'
(Vennegoor of Hesselink Goal 90'		 4–0 Willem II – De Kuip 35,000
2005–06 Ajax Huntelaar Goal 48' Goal 89' 2–1 PSV Lamey Goal 53' De Kuip 30,770
2006–07 Ajax Huntelaar Goal 51' 1–1 (aet)
(8–7 p)		 AZ Dembélé Goal 4' De Kuip 42,200
2007–08 Feyenoord Landzaat Goal 8'
(de Guzmán Goal 36'		 2–0 Roda JC – De Kuip 51,177
2008–09 Heerenveen Popov Goal 27'
(Kalou Goal 112'		 2–2 (aet)
(5–4 p)		 Twente Elia Goal 54'
(Hersi Goal 118'		 De Kuip 45,000
2009–10 Ajax de Jong Goal 6' Goal 7' 2–0 Feyenoord – Amsterdam Arena 37,283
Suárez Goal 4' Goal 82'
de Jong Goal 64' Goal 77'		 4–1 Tomasson Goal 72' De Kuip 35,000
2010–11 Twente Brama Goal 45'
(Janssen Goal 56'
(Janko Goal 117'		 3–2 (aet) Ajax De Zeeuw Goal 18'
(Ebecilio Goal 40'		 De Kuip 45,000
2011–12 PSV Toivonen Goal 21'
(Mertens Goal 56'
(Lens Goal 63'		 3–0 Heracles Almelo – De Kuip 50,000
2012–13 AZ Maher Goal 12'
Altidore Goal 14'		 2–1 PSV Locadia Goal 31' De Kuip 50,000
2013–14 PEC Zwolle Thomas Goal 8' Goal 12'
Fernandez Goal 22' Goal 34'
van Polen Goal 50'		 5–1 Ajax van Rhijn Goal 3' De Kuip 42,500
2014–15 FC Groningen Rusnák Goal 64' Goal 75' 2–0 PEC Zwolle – De Kuip 46,193
2015–16 Feyenoord Kramer Goal 42'
(Elia Goal 75'		 2–1 FC Utrecht Leeuwin Goal 51' De Kuip 45,592
2016–17 Vitesse Van Wolfswinkel Goal 81' Goal 88' 2–0 AZ – De Kuip 46,105
2017–18 Feyenoord Jörgensen Goal 28'
(Van Persie Goal 57'
(Toornstra Goal 90+3'		 3–0 AZ – De Kuip 46,084
2018–19 Ajax Blind Goal 38'
(Huntelaar Goal 39', 67'
(Kristensen Goal 76'		 4–0 Willem II – De Kuip 45,709
2019–20 Final between Utrecht and Feyenoord not played due to COVID-19 pandemic De Kuip N/A
2020–21 Ajax Gravenberch Goal 23'
(Neres Goal 90+1'		 2–1 Vitesse Openda Goal 30' De Kuip 0
2021–22 PSV Gutiérrez Goal 48'
(Gakpo Goal 50'		 2–1 Ajax Gravenberch Goal 23' De Kuip 47,500
2022–23 PSV T. Hazard Goal 67' 1–1 (aet)
(3–2 p)		 Ajax Branthwaite Goal 42' (o.g.) De Kuip 40,650
2023–24 Feyenoord Paixão Goal 59' 1–0 NEC Nijmegen – De Kuip 42,140
2024–25 Go Ahead Eagles Deijl Goal 90+9' (pen.) 1–1 (aet)
(4–2 p)		 AZ Parrott Goal 54' (pen.) De Kuip 42,972

Number of Titles Won

Knvbbeker cropped
The KNVB Cup Trophy

This table shows which clubs have won the KNVB Cup and how many times.

Club Titles Runners-up Winning years
Ajax 20 8 1917, 1943, 1961, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2019, 2021
Feyenoord 14 4 1930, 1935, 1965, 1969, 1980, 1984, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2008, 2016, 2018, 2024
PSV Eindhoven 11 8 1950, 1974, 1976, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 2005, 2012, 2022, 2023
AZ 4 4 1978, 1981, 1982, 2013
Quick (H) 4 – 1909, 1910, 1911, 1916
FC Twente 3 4 1977, 2001, 2011
FC Utrecht 3 3 1985, 2003, 2004
Sparta Rotterdam 3 2 1958, 1962, 1966
HFC 3 – 1904, 1913, 1915
ADO Den Haag 2 6 1968, 1975
HBS Craeyenhout 2 5 1901, 1908
Roda JC 2 4 1997, 2000
Haarlem 2 3 1902, 1912
DFC 2 2 1914, 1932
VOC Rotterdam 2 2 1905, 1907
Willem II 2 2 1944, 1963
Fortuna'54 2 – 1957, 1964
Wageningen 2 – 1939, 1948
RCH 2 – 1918, 1928
Vitesse 1 4 2017
PEC Zwolle 1 3 2014
NAC Breda 1 3 1973
HVV Den Haag 1 3 1903
Heerenveen 1 2 2009
Go Ahead Eagles 1 1 2025
FC Groningen 1 1 2015
VSV 1 1 1938
VUC Den Haag [nl] 1 1 1927
RAP Amsterdam 1 1 1899
VVV 1 – 1959
Quick 1888 1 – 1949
FC Eindhoven 1 – 1937
Roermond [nl] 1 – 1936
Velocitas Groningen 1 – 1934
LONGA [nl] 1 – 1926
ZFC [nl] 1 – 1925
Schoten [nl] 1 – 1921
CVV [nl] 1 – 1920
Concordia 1 – 1906
Velocitas Breda [nl] 1 – 1900

Media Coverage

Watching in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, you can watch the KNVB Cup games live. They are shown on the ESPN channels. The rights to broadcast these games are part of a bigger package from the KNVB. This package also includes the Johan Cruyff Shield match.

Watching Around the World

You can also watch the KNVB Cup in many other countries. Here is a list of some of the broadcasters:

Country/Region Broadcaster
Americas
 Gol TV
 Austria Sportdigital
 Germany
 Switzerland
Balkans
 Sport Klub
Baltics
 Go3 Sport
 Belgium Play Sports
 Bulgaria Max Sport
 Cyprus Cablenet
 Greece Ant1
 Israel Charlton
Nordics
 Viaplay
 Russia Match! TV
 Middle East and North Africa Dubai Sports

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Copa de los Países Bajos para niños

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