The Netherlands failed to qualify for the final tournament of the UEFA Women's Championship from 1984 to 2005. In 2009, the Dutch women's team qualified and reached third place. In 2013, they qualified again, but did not advance after the group stage. The Dutch women booked a major victory on the 2017 tournament: following a 4–2 victory over Denmark they became the new European champion. Furthermore, Lieke Martens was heralded as the best player of the tournament.