AZ Alkmaar delivered a dominant performance to win the Dutch ​Cup final on Sunday, hammering NEC ‌Nijmegen 5-1 at the Feyenoord Stadium ​in Rotterdam.

AZ took a deserved ⁠lead after 32 minutes as left back Mees de Wit netted from close range ‌after a mazy run to the byline from left wing ‌Ro-Zangelo Daal.

It added two more after ‌the ⁠break from Sven Mijnans in ⁠the 67th minute and Peer Koopmeiners six minutes after that.

NEC pulled one back in the ​78th minute through ‌Japanese striker Koki Ogawa.

Mijnans had the ball in the net again five minutes from time but it was ‌ruled out for offside in ​the build-up, but at the start of stoppage time, newly-⁠capped Dutch international Kees Smit chipped NEC goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen to make it ‌4-1.

There was still time for one more from Ireland international Troy Parrott five minutes into stoppage time, with his close-range shot taking a wicked deflection.

It was AZ’s fifth Dutch Cup ‌final victory but first in 13 years, ​while NEC has now lost all six finals it has appeared ⁠in.

Cup success means AZ qualifies for ⁠the league phase of next season’s Europa League. It was eliminated ‌last Thursday in the Conference League quarterfinal by Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk.

Published on Apr 20, 2026