The Vrouwen Eredivisie (hereafter: Eredivisie) is the highest level of women’s football in the Netherlands. The Eredivisie has recently been restructured, meaning that from this season onwards ten teams play in the competition, whereas up until last season, 12 teams competed for the title. Let’s have a look at how the competition works and which teams and players you should definitely keep an eye on.
Teams meet each other three times
The season runs parallel to the Women’s Super League (WSL) in England: from late summer to late spring. The ten teams play each of the other teams three times per season. This means that each team plays a total of 27 matches every season. This naturally means that there is no equal split between home and away games, like in a system where each team meets each other twice per season. One opponent will be visited twice, the other will be visited once.
There are no play-offs
It’s as simple as can be: the team with the most points after their 27 matches, is crowned Eredivisie champion. The team with the fewest points is relegated to the Eerste Divisie (comparable to the WSL2).
The race for European football
League standings also determine which teams qualify for European football the following season. The champions enter the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) play-offs through the Champions Path. The runner up enters in the League Path. The third-placed team qualifies for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Cup.
Level of the Vrouwen Eredivisie
According to Opta’s Power Rankings, the Eredivisie is ranked 14th among women’s football leagues around the world. The league is generally viewed as a developmental league: the biggest talents often leave the country for top leagues abroad. Stars like Kerstin Casparij, Victoria Pelova, Vivianne Miedema and Marisa Olislagers are prime examples of that.
Ajax and FC Twente no longer the two dominant teams
Ajax and FC Twente were the two big teams in the Netherlands until recently. Last season however, FC Twente failed to even qualify for European football, whereas they played in the League Phase of the UWCL last time round. They finished fourth in the table last campaign, which is very much unlike them. In the last seven years they claimed the title five times.
PSV and Feyenoord are emerging
PSV cemented their rise to the top with a league title last season. They have invested heavily in their women’s team in recent years, and that is paying off. PSV is the first club in the Netherlands with dedicated training facilities for their women’s team.
Another team to watch is Feyenoord. They qualified for European football for the first time last season after finishing third in last season’s table. They will start their Europa Cup qualifying campaign against Belgian side Anderlecht.
Players to watch
Top talents like Wieke Kaptein and Veerle Buurman once began in the Eredivisie. This summer alone, Renée van Asten made a move to Barcelona and Nina Nijstad made the step to the NWSL to play for Portland Thorns. So who are some players to watch in the Eredivisie this season?
- Liz Rijsbergen (PSV) – pacey winger who can play on either flank
- Lynn Groenewegen (FC Twente) – strong defensive midfielder
- Karlijn Woons (FC Twente) – centre-back with an eye for a pass
- Kealyn Thomas (Ajax) – midfielder with a high level of creativity
Where can you watch the Vrouwen Eredivisie?
If you are in the Netherlands, you can watch the Vrouwen Eredivisie on ESPN, but you will need a subscription to their premium service to have access to each match.
Following the league from abroad is unfortunately more difficult. While highlights and other content are available on the KNVB’s (Dutch FA) official channels, there is currently no widely available broadcasting package for the league. The KNVB have announced a partnership with IMG for the international broadcasting rights of the competition in 2025, but it looks as if there is currently no widespread availability on streaming platforms internationally – yet.
