Despite wild cheering ahead of and during the game, the 1-0 loss in extra time sent some 180,000 orange-clad fans trudging away from Amsterdam's Museum Square, which had swelled into a mass of people so large that authorities said the city was literally full to capacity.
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"I feel very disappointed but we didn't deserve to win. It's a shame," said Chris Schreve, 33, a marketing manager from Amsterdam who was among the dejected throng milling around the Leidseplein entertainment district after the match.
"Tens of thousands of fans are now moving peacefully away from the Museum Square," a police spokesman said.
Just as there were no revellers jumping with joy into the city's canals, there will be no victory cruise for the team on the historic centre's waterways, a traditional parade that many had been anticipating and planning for.
This year's strong performance by the Netherlands had rekindled the nation's hopes of claiming the title in their third final in the tournament's 80-year history.
Then, as now, the Dutch were widely praised for their playing style only to end up trophyless, earning them the title of the "the best team never to have won the World Cup".
