Heerenveen, May 17, 2026, 15:03 CEST
- After 29 minutes at Heerenveen, Ajax were locked in a 0-0 stalemate, which placed Óscar García’s team fifth in the live Eredivisie standings.
- Why does the top-four race matter? Third spot means a Champions League qualifying shot, while fourth puts a team into the Europa League. Clubs finishing fifth through eighth end up in the Conference League play-offs, which is a step down in European competition.
- As the last round unfolded simultaneously, both NEC and Twente stayed in front of Ajax on the live table.
Ajax’s bid for a top-four Eredivisie spot took another hit Sunday. After 29 minutes at Abe Lenstra Stadion, the Amsterdam side was locked in a goalless draw with Heerenveen and sitting fifth in the live table. The BBC’s live coverage reflected a 0-0 scoreline, with 25,450 in attendance and Ajax on 56 points if things stayed this way.
This is the crux of the match. As it stands: NEC sits third with 59 points, Twente also on 59 but fourth, and Ajax trailing in fifth. According to the BBC’s competition key, third grabs a Champions League qualifying spot, fourth heads to the Europa League, while teams finishing fifth through eighth face Conference League play-offs.
Ajax entered the last day sitting in fifth, trailing Twente by three points and NEC by one. Only a win in Friesland—and a bit of luck from other results—would give them any shot at climbing higher. According to Sports Mole’s preview, the club faced the possibility of finishing outside the top four for just the second time in 26 years.
Early scores broke against Ajax. NEC jumped ahead 2-0 over Go Ahead Eagles, and PSV were tied 1-1 with Twente—enough for Ajax to trail both clubs in the live standings.
Heerenveen weren’t parking the bus. Match stats from the BBC had the hosts tallying four shots—three of those on target—and earning five corners. Ajax? They owned 59.2% possession but managed just one shot on target. Jorthy Mokio saw yellow for Ajax in the 26th minute.
García put Wout Weghorst at center forward, flanked by Mika Godts and Steven Berghuis up top. Davy Klaassen wore the armband for Ajax in midfield. On the opposite side, Heerenveen’s Robin Veldman opted for Dylan Vente to lead the line, backed up by Jacob Trenskow, Ringo Meerveld, and Luca Oyen.
Some of the pressure traced back to recent results. Ajax drew 2-2 against reigning champions PSV, then slipped to a 2-1 home defeat by Utrecht—an outcome that, according to Sports Mole, knocked García’s side out of the top four. That same preview pegged Godts as Ajax’s top league scorer on 17 goals.
Heerenveen weren’t under much pressure, but they still had motivation. According to Sports Mole, the hosts had secured a European play-off spot and were coming off five straight home league wins, each with a minimum of two goals.
The match drew a broader crowd this time. On Disney+, the event appeared as “SC Heerenveen vs. Ajax,” billed under the Netherlands’ top football division. ESPN’s listing in the U.S. pointed viewers to ESPN+ for coverage. Disney+
Ajax faced a straightforward dilemma: a late victory alone wouldn’t cut it if Twente and NEC held their ground. Danny Koevermans, once a PSV striker and now an ESPN analyst, didn’t sugarcoat it ahead of kickoff. “Ajax is completely dependent on Go Ahead, Twente and PSV,” he said. PSV Inside
Ajax still had a window, just barely. But with the last day unfolding across multiple pitches, and that first half in Heerenveen hardly widening their already tight margin, the outlook hadn’t improved.
