Van der Wiel returned to the squad for the final against Spain, where he started and played all 120 minutes of the match as the Dutch lost following a late goal by Andrés Iniesta in extra time. In total, Van der Wiel made four appearances during the World Cup campaign. At the end of 2010, Van der Wiel said about the World Cup: "The final was so beautiful, the stadium was very big and you only saw flashes of the cameras in the audience." I feel honored to have played the final. As a young boy, it is of course beautiful. Previously, it was a dream, now I have experienced it myself."