Eredivisie 2026/27 Predictions: PSV Eindhoven eye fourth straight title as Ajax and Feyenoord look to close gap
Eredivisie 2026/27 Predictions: Last season PSV Eindhoven cantered to a third straight Dutch top-tier title, wrapping up the league in April. By the end of the season, they had finished 19 points ahead of the second-place Feyenoord, highlighting the gap that the rest of the division needs to make up.
The disappointing campaigns for both Feyenoord and Ajax have led changes in personnel at both clubs, and they will hope to stop PSV from making it four in a row. NEC Nijmegen, who surprised everyone with their attacking brand of football and a third-place finish, will also be eager to show they are not a one-season wonder.
The likes of FC Twente and AZ Alkmaar and FC Utrecht have been consistent performers over the seasons, and with the traditional powerhouses not as dominant as before, they could realistically hope to achieve Champions League football.
There will be a few twists and turns once the season kicks off on August 7. Dutch fans will hope that the league delivers on the unpredictability it is known for. Curva Global takes a look at how the upcoming Eredivisie season could end up.
Who will win the Dutch Eredivisie 2026/27 league title?
At first glance it is hard to pick anyone but PSV Eindhoven for the league title. Peter Bosz has done an excellent job of moulding the team into his image. The defending champions are quick in transition, press aggressively, and play with a flair that sees them brush aside opponents on a weekly basis.
Yet, the new season will come with its own set of challenges. They lost influential attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari to Bayern Munich during the World Cup. However, they moved swiftly to acquire Sven Mijnans from AZ Alkmaar. The 26-year-old is expected to be Saibari’s successor, and he comes into a settled team. But both Feyenoord and Ajax have been making moves in the summer.
Despite a second-place finish, the Rotterdam club parted ways with Robin van Persie as head coach and have appointed former player Giovanni van Bronckhorst in his place. This will be van Bronckhorst’s second spell in charge of Feyenoord, having managed the club from 2015 to 2019.
During that time, he led the team to an Eredivisie title and two Dutch Cups and won the Johan Cruyff Shield twice. The club has also moved to make solid moves in the transfer market, adding Spanish forward Nacho Ferri from Westerlo. They have also signed defender Mika Marmol on a free transfer from Las Palmas, and Belgian midfielder Charles Vanhoutte arrives from Nice. The idea is that the team has a strong spine and needs a few quality additions that could push them to the next level.
Meanwhile, their rivals Ajax have been making noise as well. The Dutch giants have fallen off significantly since winning the league in 2022. Two years ago, they were nine points ahead in the title race with five games left but ended up losing the league title on the final day. Last season was disappointing, with a fifth-place finish.
John Heitinga, who was appointed last summer, was sacked in November and replaced him with Fred Grim. Grim was relieved of his position in March, with Under-23 coach Oscar Garcia taking over. Garcia oversaw Europa Conference League qualification but was let go at the end of a turbulent campaign.
The Amsterdam side have moved to appoint Spanish coach Michel, who recently managed Girona in La Liga. The 50-year-old turned heads by taking Girona to the Champions League two seasons ago, and his coaching style is what Ajax desperately need. He likes his team to take control of possession and attack with patience. He has been aided with the addition of veteran defender Daley Blind and has added Brazilian defender Caio Henrique as well.
Ajax have gone for experience in terms of players and have appointed a coach who could radically change their approach from recent seasons. Feyenoord have gone back to a known winner in van Bronckhorst, and it means Peter Bosz and PSV will have to be on their toes. Despite these changes, we still back the defending champions to retain their crown for another season.
Eredivisie title: PSV Eindhoven
Runner-up: Ajax
Race for Europe
Eredivisie clubs haven’t exactly lit up the European stage in recent years, and it has taken a hit on their allotment in the continental competitions. The league now has only one automatic Champions League place for the winners, while the runner-up will enter the competition at the third qualifying round next season.
Third place, which led to Champions League qualification last time out, will only be good for a Europa League second qualifying round. Then, given the current format, the teams placed fourth to seventh will enter a playoff to determine the nation’s Conference League entrant.
We expect the Big Three to occupy the top automatic European spots, though it won’t be easy. NEC Nijmegen will hope to upset the odds once again, while AZ, following their KNVB Cup win last season, will aim to disrupt the balance at the top.
FC Twente looked good value for their fourth-place finish last season, and FC Utrecht will hope to be in the mix following the appointment of former Telstar manager Anthony Correia.
European places:
Champions League: PSV Eindhoven, Ajax.
Europa League: Feyenoord.
European playoff spots: AZ Alkmaar, NEC Nijmegen, FC Utrecht, SC Heerenveen.
Surprise package of the season
NEC Nijmegen were a breath of fresh air in the Dutch top-flight last season, and they can be expected to continue their open and attacking brand of football. But with European football commitments, Jan-Dirk “Dick” Schreuder’s men might find this season to be a more challenging one.
As such, we are backing SC Heerenveen to catch people by surprise in the new campaign. The Friesland club has constantly improved in recent seasons and finished 8th last time out. The Frisian identity, combined with the idea of playing the right way, has seen the club do well to sustain itself in the unpredictable Dutch top-flight.
They have turned in consistent performances in the last few campaigns and were impressive under new manager Robin Veldman in the 2025/26 season. Midfielder Dirk Proper has come from Nijmegen NEC, and they have taken forward Lanroy Machine on loan from Angers to boost their attacking prowess.
Veldman has made the team more stable in their play and tried to balance it with their attacking intent. Having finished 9th in 2024/25, the former Queen’s Park coach knew he needed to build on what was already present in the squad and has delivered the results. The question is whether he can improve them further.
Their home form wasn’t what it was two seasons ago, and this is definitely what they need to address if they have ambitions beyond a top-half finish. While some might think that securing another top-flight campaign should be the focus, De Superfriezen have good reason to believe they can push further up the table.
A top three place might be a stretch too far, but finishing in the top six should not be considered an out-of-reach goal for the club.
Relegation
Traditionally, the Dutch top-flight has been kind to the newly promoted clubs. In the last five seasons, not more than one newly promoted club has been relegated. Last season, only Volendam went down, with Excelsior and Telstar both staying up. But there is also a case of clubs frequently going up and down the leagues and finding it hard to solidify themselves as a top-tier side.
This season ADO Den Haag return to the Eredivisie after a five-year absence, and Cambuur also make their return after being away for three years. Willem II have bounced straight back up after relegation in the 2024/25 season.
It would be fair to expect all these three sides involved in the battle to stay up in the new season. There are two automatic relegation places, with the 16th-placed team entering a playoff against the qualifying team from Eerste Divisie for a spot in the top division.
Telstar did well to survive last season, but with their manager Anthony Correia leaving for Utrecht, they would be up against it under new coach Henk Brugge. The likes of PEC Zwolle, Excelsior, and even Fortuna Sittard will also be dragged into the fight for survival if their campaigns don’t start off well.
Relegation: Cambuur, Excelsior.
Relegation playoff: Telstar.
