In Dutch sports,The Big Three (Dutch:De Grote Drie) (orThe (Traditional) Top Three (Dutch:De (Traditionele) Topdrie)) orThe Three Top Clubs (Dutch:De drie Topclubs)) are the nicknames for the three most successful rivallingfootballclubs in theNetherlands:Ajax fromAmsterdam,Feyenoord fromRotterdam andPSV fromEindhoven. Collectively they amounted to 77 of the 134Dutch Football Championships ever played (as of 2024), and 62 of a possible 70 championships since the introduction of professional football in 1954 (as of 2024). The three clubs generally end up sharing the top three positions and contending for the title. None of them have been relegated from theEredivisie either, having been participants in all editions since Dutch football was merged into a single top-level competition in the1956–57 season.
Several other clubs outside the big three have won the Dutch league, withHVV Den Haag having the fourth most national titles behind the Big Three in the Netherlands with 10 in total; however, the last time they won was in1914.
Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord are the only Dutch clubs which have won European and international competitions. Feyenoord won theEuropean Cup in1970 and theUEFA Cup in1974 and2002, as well as theIntercontinental Cup in1970. Ajax won the European Cup three consecutive times in1971,1972 and1973, and a fourth time after it was rebranded to the UEFA Champions League in1995. They also won the UEFA Cup in1992, theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup in1987, the Intercontinental Cup of1972 and1995, as well as theEuropean Super Cup of1972,1973 and1995. PSV also won the European Cup of1988 and the UEFA Cup in1978.
Ruud Geels (Feyenoord 1966–1970, Ajax 1974–1978, PSV 1981–1982)
