AZ Lift First Dutch Cup Since 2013, Become Best Side Outside Big Three

AZ end cup hoodoo with 5-1 final win while NEC’s trophy curse continues

AZ smashed NEC 5-1 to win the 107th KNVB Beker final. NEC extend unwanted Dutch record with sixth cup final loss in club history.

Goals from De Wit, Mijnans, Koopmeiners, Smit, and Parrott gave AZ a fifth KNVB Beker as NEC’s wait for a first major trophy goes on...

  

AZ ended a streak of three Dutch Cup final defeats and secured an eighth major trophy with a 5-1 win over hopefuls NEC in Sunday’s 107th KNVB Beker final.

Coming off a 2-2 Conference League draw with Shakhtar Donetsk, AZ interim boss Lee-Roy Echtold named a fresh XI in Rotterdam after resting most of his regulars on Thursday. Kees Smit and Troy Parrott spearheaded the attack, while captain Jordy Clasie started for the first time since late September.

Kees Smit speelt Sven Mijnans vrij, die koeltjes raak schiet 💥#aznec pic.twitter.com/CiEwpbI8DZ

— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) April 19, 2026

NEC coach Dick Schreuder benched Ajax loanee Ahmetcan Kaplan and opted for a back three of Eli Dasa, Philippe Sandler, and Deveron Fonville as the Nijmegen side tried to end the cup curse that’s seen them lose all five KNVB Beker finals in their history.

 

As with most cup finals, the game began cautiously with both teams feeling each other out. The opening spell ended in the 24th minute when Jordy Clasie let fly with a half-volley from distance that crashed off the crossbar.

Clasie's effort sparked AZ into life. They took control and grabbed the lead in the 32nd minute when left-back Mees de Wit finished off a slick Ro-Zangelo Daal dribble, tapping past a helpless Jasper Cillessen.

 

The final lost intensity again as AZ dropped into a lower gear. They allowed NEC to push forward in numbers but stayed compact and tight defensively.

Breaking forward at pace, Kees Smit played a lethal ball into NEC’s box to set up Sven Mijnans. He finished clinically past Cillessen at the near post to double AZ’s lead and leave NEC with a huge task with 20 minutes left.

Midfielder Peer Koopmeiners, brother of Juventus star Teun Koopmeiners, all but ended NEC’s hopes of a first major trophy when he ruthlessly finished a counter with a chip over Jasper Cillessen in the 73rd minute.

  

Desperate for a lifeline, NEC sparked hope of a comeback when substitute Koki Ogawa headed home his trademark goal, giving the Nijmegen club 15 minutes to force extra time.

Tjaronn Chery gave NEC fans belief with a clever free kick, and Sven Mijnans thought he’d sealed it in the 85th minute when he tapped a rebound into an empty net after Cillessen denied Troy Parrott. The vice-captain’s goal was chalked off for offside.

The decisive moment came from Kees Smit’s right foot. Left unmarked, he beat Cillessen with a delightful lob in the first minute of added time to effectively end the KNVB Beker final.

❤️💥 VAN ALKMAAR DE VICTORIE#AZAlkmaar #TheFutureIsOurs pic.twitter.com/cCkjJxpVe1

— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) April 19, 2026

AZ capped an unforgettable night in the final seconds when Troy Parrott added a stunning fifth with a deflected strike.

AZ lifted the KNVB Beker for the fifth time in club history and the first since 2013, making them the most successful Dutch Cup side outside the Big Three of Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord.

NEC were left to rue another final defeat, stretching their Dutch record to six KNVB Beker finals without lifting the cup. They now match Northern Irish side Larne, who’ve also lost six Irish Cup finals without a win, and sit behind only Liechtenstein amateur club FC Ruggell with seven, among active European clubs with the most lost domestic cup finals without winning one.