Eredivisie

Fans to choose the Top 1000 players in 70 years of Eredivisie history

2 September 2026

To mark 70 years of the Eredivisie, football fans around the world are being invited to help decide the greatest players in the competition’s history. The Eredivisie and ESPN are launching the Top 1000, the biggest public vote in Dutch football history. Voting opens today – exactly 70 years after the first official Eredivisie matchday on 2 September 1956 – and runs until 1 November.

Fans can choose from more than 8,000 players who have graced the Eredivisie since the competition was founded in 1956. From icons of the black-and-white era to the stars of today, every vote will help shape the ultimate ranking of the greatest players in 70 years of Eredivisie history.

Voting is now open

Fans can cast their vote at Eredivisie.com/top1000, choosing between five and 25 of their favourite players from more than 8,000 players who have made at least one appearance in the Eredivisie since 1956. Voting is open until 1 November.

Fans and expert jury to decide the final ranking

The public vote will be combined with the verdict of an expert jury to determine the final ranking. Led by jury chairman Hugo Borst (journalist), former players, football experts, journalist, artists and other prominent figures will consider the same question: who are the greatest players in Eredivisie history? The jury includes Sjoerd Mossou (Algemeen Dagblad), Arnold Bruggink (ESPN and former player), Frank Evenblij (Bureau Sport) and Leonne Stentler (NOS, ESPN and former player), among others. More jury members will be announced each week over the coming period.

Jan de Jong, CEO of the Eredivisie: “Every football fan has players they will never forget. The striker you wanted to be as a child, the goalkeeper who seemed unbeatable or the club hero who captured the hearts of an entire generation of supporters. For 70 years, the Eredivisie has created these wonderful, emotional and sometimes deeply moving memories. With the Top 1000, we are giving football fans the opportunity to decide together which players deserve their place among the greatest in our competition’s history. Ultimately, this list will create a lasting record of 70 years of Eredivisie history.”

Grand finale on ESPN: 21–31 December

ESPN will bring the Top 1000 to a close from 21–31 December with ten daily studio shows, gradually revealing the ranking of the greatest players from 70 years of Eredivisie history. Jan Joost van Gangelen will host the shows, while Fresia Cousiño Arias will uncover the stories behind the players together with clubs, fans and former players.

The Top 1000 brings 70 years of Eredivisie history together in one definitive ranking, shaped by the people who have supported the competition throughout its history: the fans.