The Strongest Netherlands Clubs by ELO (2026/27)
A data-driven analysis of the top Netherlands football clubs by beyondELO rating in 2026/27, featuring PSV Eindhoven, Ajax, Feyenoord, AZ, and Twente.
The Strongest Netherlands Clubs by ELO (2026/27)
As the 2026/27 season unfolds on 25 September 2026, the ELO ratings for Dutch football reveal a league defined by distinct tiers, clear momentum shifts, and a sharp division between top-tier competitors and the rest of the division. According to the latest Glicko-2 ELO model on beyondELO, the top five clubs in the Netherlands hold an average rating of 1667.
At the apex of Dutch football sits PSV Eindhoven, holding a firm grip on the top spot despite minor early-season rating losses. Meanwhile, a tightly contested battle brews beneath them, where four clubs are separated by just 32 ELO points. Beyond the top five, however, lies a significant drop-off, with the remaining sides slipping down both national and continental hierarchies.
To understand where each team stands in the national pecking order and across Europe, we examine the data for the eight highest-rated Dutch clubs heading into the heart of the campaign.
Complete Dutch ELO Rankings for 2026/27
The full standings demonstrate how the country's top clubs compare on the Netherlands rankings table, along with their broader position in the overall European rankings.
| Club | European Rank | ELO Rating | Season ELO Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSV Eindhoven | 28 | 1774 | -9 |
| Ajax | 72 | 1655 | +35 |
| Feyenoord | 75 | 1653 | +23 |
| AZ Alkmaar | 94 | 1628 | +28 |
| Twente | 99 | 1623 | +9 |
| NEC Nijmegen | 181 | 1532 | -49 |
| Heerenveen | 193 | 1520 | -6 |
| Utrecht | 197 | 1513 | -33 |
PSV Eindhoven Stand Alone at the Summit
PSV Eindhoven remain the benchmark for Dutch football. Sitting at 28th in the European rankings with an ELO rating of 1774, PSV are the only club from the Netherlands ranked within the continental top 50.
Although PSV have recorded a slight drop of 9 ELO points so far in 2026/27, their advantage over the rest of the league remains substantial. They possess a 119-point lead over second-placed Ajax (1655) and a 151-point cushion over fifth-placed Twente (1623). In ELO terms, a gap of more than 100 points indicates structural superiority, meaning PSV remain clear rating favourites in virtually every domestic fixture.
While a 9-point reduction shows that PSV have suffered minor setbacks early in the campaign, their position at the summit of Dutch football is unthreatened by a single negative shift.
The 32-Point Pack: Ajax, Feyenoord, AZ, and Twente
While PSV occupy a category of their own, the race behind them represents one of the closest modern rating clusters in Dutch football. Four teams—Ajax, Feyenoord, AZ Alkmaar, and Twente—are packed into a narrow window of 32 ELO points, spanning European ranks 72 to 99.
Ajax lead this chasing group in second place with an ELO of 1655 (72nd in Europe). The Amsterdam club has been the biggest gainer among top Dutch sides this season, adding 35 ELO points to jump ahead of Feyenoord.
Feyenoord sit directly behind Ajax in third place at 1653 ELO (75th in Europe), having gained 23 ELO points. The two rivals are separated by a margin of just 2 ELO points, making their relative order sensitive to individual match results in the coming weeks.
Completing the top five are AZ Alkmaar and Twente:
- AZ Alkmaar rank fourth in the Netherlands and 94th in Europe with an ELO rating of 1628, following a strong positive movement of 28 points this season.
- Twente rank fifth domestically and 99th in Europe with a rating of 1623, having gained 9 points.
The distance between AZ Alkmaar (1628) and Twente (1623) is a mere 5 ELO points. Both clubs maintain their status inside UEFA's top 100, ensuring that all five top Dutch clubs operate within the upper tier of European football.
The Mid-Table Chasm and Rating Slides
The most striking feature of the Dutch ELO distribution is the massive drop-off below the top five.
A gap of 91 ELO points separates fifth-placed Twente (1623) from sixth-placed NEC Nijmegen (1532). In the continental hierarchy, this represents an 82-place plunge from rank 99 down to rank 181.
Furthermore, the teams outside the top five are experiencing downward momentum:
- NEC Nijmegen (1532 ELO, European rank 181) have suffered the largest rating drop in the dataset, losing 49 ELO points so far in 2026/27.
- Heerenveen (1520 ELO, European rank 193) sit seventh domestically, having recorded a decline of 6 ELO points.
- Utrecht (1513 ELO, European rank 197) occupy eighth place after losing 33 ELO points, placing them near the threshold of the top 200 European clubs.
The combined lower trio (NEC, Heerenveen, and Utrecht) spans a tight range of 19 ELO points (1513 to 1532). However, their collective decline contrasts with the positive trajectories of Ajax (+35), AZ Alkmaar (+28), Feyenoord (+23), and Twente (+9).
What the Data Signals for 2026/27
The 2026/27 beyondELO figures outline a clear story for the Dutch game:
- PSV's Title Cushion: PSV's 119-point buffer over Ajax provides a massive margin for error in the title race.
- A Resurgent Chasing Group: Ajax (+35) and AZ Alkmaar (+28) are generating strong upward momentum, while Feyenoord (+23) remain tightly matched with Ajax.
- A Fractured Division: With a 91-point fault line between 5th and 6th place, the ELO data confirms a structural divide between the top five European contenders and the remaining chasers.