The countries have a long-standing tradition of rivalry in football, having played over 129 official derbies so far.

[2] Not only have the Low Countries met 19 times in the framework of major tournaments, they have also played at least 35 friendly cup duels.

During the encounters in Belgium the teams played for the Coupe Vanden Abeele until 1925, and in the friendlies in the Netherlands they played for the Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad Beker until 1923,[6] for a total of 39 Belgian-Dutch friendly cup matches (of which 35 official internationals).

[3] The cup awarded in Belgium was named after and initially handed out by Frédéric Vanden Abeele Sr., father of the secretary of Beerschot Athletic Club (where the tournament took place).

[7] As the Dutch disliked the design of this Belgian cup, they quickly nicknamed it Het Koperen Dingetje, meaning "The Copper Thingy".