As Dutch internationals, Edwin van der Sar and Aron Winter played together at two World Cups
They reminisce on the FIFA Podcast about playing in the US at the 1994 tournament
Winter is part of the FIFA Technical Study Group led by Arsene Wenger at this World Cup
For former Dutch internationals Edwin van der Sar and Aron Winter, the in North America has already had so much to offer the spectator. Yet as well as enjoying watching the action from the stands, the pair have also taken the opportunity to wander down memory lane.
After all, Winter, now 59, and Van der Sar, 55, were in Dick Advocaat’s squad for the first World Cup on US soil back in 1994. Winter was a regular starter. Van der Sar was back-up goalkeeper to Ed de Goey. They were room-mates at times and, in conversation with Mickael Silvestre on the FIFA Podcast this week, the memories came rushing back..
“We were so happy to be here in ‘94,” remembers Winter, “and we were completely surprised because of how everything was very well arranged. The pitches were beautiful. The facilities were great. It was a beautiful tournament. We didn’t start well but in the end we went to the next round and in the end, we were a little bit unlucky in the quarter-final against Brazil.”
Brazil, the team that ended Dutch dreams both in 1994 and 1998, is a subject we will return to later.
But first, more on those fabulous Netherlands players of their generation. Van der Sar names some of them, starting with Ronald Koeman, today’s Oranje coach, along with Jan Wouters and Frank Rijkaard. He carries on, listing “Aron, [Dennis] Bergkamp, Frank and Ronald De Boer, [Marc] Overmars, those kinds of guys.”
For him personally, USA ‘94 was a learning experience before taking over the No1 shirt four year later. “It was really great for me to learn, to see what’s happening," he explains. "I’d never been to America so ‘94, you came here and the heat, the temperature, the humidity, being a long way from home... We stayed in Orlando, in a golf resort. There was a pitch made for us to train there.”
Advocaat’s team won their group by beating Saudi Arabia and Morocco either side of a defeat by Belgium. And then, a last-16 success against the Republic of Ireland, came that at Dallas’s Cotton Bowl. Romario and Bebeto gave the South Americans a 2-0 lead. Then Dennis Bergkamp and Winter struck back before Branco’s fierce late strike from distance won the game for the eventual champions.
Both men focus their recollections on Bergkamp. “I don't think he ever scored an ugly goal,” says Van der Sar of the forward who – as seen in the video above – displayed typical composure as he stroked the ball past Claudio Taffarel.
Winter adds: “It’s always nice when you've got in your team some players who can make a difference. We’re speaking about Dennis Bergkamp. He was really a good player, intelligent, elegant. I think that he [scored] only beautiful goals, but with the right touch.
"When you've got some players of that quality in your team, you’ll play for those players because you know if you give them the ball in a certain part of the [pitch] he’ll be important and will also decide games for you.”
Speaking of strikers, the pair then shift to Ronaldo, the man who scored against the Oranje in the second big match of the decade against Brazil, the 1998 semi-final in Marseille which brought a penalty shootout defeat for the Netherlands after a 1-1 draw. “In the box, [with him]nine of the ten times it was a goal,” he recalls. “You always tried to get him far away from your own goal [but] you never knew which side he’d go. On the right side and the left side, both sides he was good.” “His technique, his running, his pace, his change of direction… That really stood him out as one of the best strikers there have been,” adds Van der Sar.
As for this tournament, today’s top strikers have already caught the eye of Van der Sar. “If your main striker scores goals, that gives confidence for your defenders, for the midfield, for the coach, for the people at home," he reflects. "So, if those guys are scoring, that helps”
In the case of Winter he is in North America with and enjoying the experience of seeing the match through a layered lens, analysing the “different trends coming up in football” with fellow technical experts and analysts. “”We’re watching all the games, giving our expertise about the games within the whole team of analysts,” he adds. “We’ve got a whole and whole suite where we can see the game from different angles.” And he is certainly looking forward to Saturday’s Netherlands-Sweden game as the Duch look to build on their opening 2-2 draw with Japan. In that opening game, he would have liked to see "a little bit more chaos" for the Netherlands, noting the limited number of forward runs from deeper players like full-back Denzel Dumfries.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” adds Winter of the challenge Sweden pose. “They have two young strikers at Arsenal and Liverpool (respectively Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak). “We should have enough quality, energy and power to get a result – not only a result – to get a win against Swede. It’s exciting because if you’re going to be number one or two in our group, probably, you will play against Morocco or Brazil, when they’re gonna be the first two in their group.”
Another Netherlands-Brazil game? Now that really would be something…
The FIFA Podcast takes fans to the heart of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ with exclusive access, expert analysis and unforgettable stories from across Canada, Mexico and the USA. Hosted by Christian Vieri and Mikaël Silvestre, the show features FIFA legends, current football stars and celebrity guests reflecting on the biggest moments of the tournament. From match reactions and behind-the-scenes insights to unique FIFA World Cup™ memories, each episode offers a fresh perspective on the beautiful game. .
Sources: FIFA Official
