Xavi has been appointed the new head coach of the Netherlands national team.
It is the 46-year-old’s first management job since his departure from Barcelona in the summer of 2024. The Spaniard has signed a four-year deal that will see him contracted to the national team until the 2030 World Cup. The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced Xavi’s appointment on August 12.
He is the Netherlands’ first foreign manager since Ernst Happel in 1977-78.
Xavi told the Netherlands national team website: “I consider it a tremendous honour to become head coach of the Dutch national team. As someone who received his training at the Barcelona academy, with strong influences from Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, among others, I feel a special connection to Dutch football.
We proudly present our new head coach. 🇳🇱⁰⁰Welcome, Xavi Hernández! 🧡#NothingLikeOranje #Xavi2030 pic.twitter.com/9aOpc9J53S
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) August 12, 2026
“You could say that I am a bit of a son of Dutch football. Other great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, under whom I made my debut at Barcelona, and Frank Rijkaard, also played an important role in shaping me as a player and coach.”
“The Netherlands has a rich football culture and a clear vision that also appeals to me enormously: attacking football, based on possession, with creativity, passion, and conviction.
“Of course, the most important goal is and always will be to win, but I prefer to do so in a way that reflects those characteristics and that people can enjoy. The potential for this is there, as well as a solid foundation to build upon. I look forward to starting this challenge together with the players, the staff, and everyone within the KNVB.”
Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi, who wrote as a columnist for The Athletic during the 2026 World Cup, began his managerial career in 2019 with a two-year spell with Al-Sadd in the Qatar Stars League. During his time in Qatar, he won six trophies.
The Spanish coach then had two-and-a-half seasons in charge of his former club Barcelona, between 2021 and 2024. He took charge of 143 games and won two trophies — the La Liga title in 2023 and the Spanish Super Cup the same season.
The Netherlands head coach role was vacated by Ronald Koeman this summer. Koeman stood down after his side’s World Cup round-of-32 exit to Morocco. That brought an end to his second spell in charge of the national team, having initially held the role between 2018 and 2020.
Former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot confirmed contact over the position, but told Dutch outlet Voetbal International that talks “never reached” the stage of salary and contract length.
