Stepping up to international duty: Van Basten's great years
Making his international debut, Van Basten made his debut against Iceland on September 7, 1983, but qualification for Euro 1984 and the 1986 World Cup prevented him from making his mark. However, he did make his mark in the final week of Euro 1988.
In that tournament, van Basten scored a hat-trick against England in the group stage, not only earning his team two crucial points, but also helping them advance to the last eight. In the quarterfinals, his 88th minute strike helped the Netherlands eliminate Germany and advance to the final. In the final, he scored a spectacular world goal in the 54th minute to beat the Soviet Union 2:0 and win the championship. He became the top scorer with five goals and was named European Footballer of the Year and World Footballer of the Year. The following year, Van Basten defended his title as European Footballer of the Year.
In the 1990 World Cup, the Netherlands were considered favorites to win the tournament, but were eliminated by Germany in the round of 16 due to internal conflicts. van Basten was left without a goal in four matches, and sparked a spitting controversy that led to red cards for Germany's Lahm and Holland's Rijkaard. at Euro 1992, the Netherlands drew with Denmark in the quarterfinals, 2-2, with van Basten missing on penalties, and Denmark winning 5-4. Denmark won 5:4. Despite this, he was awarded European Footballer of the Year and World Footballer of the Year.
In 1994, Van Basten politely declined an invitation to the national team, ending his national team career.
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Van Basten's international performances
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