Editing Jaap Stam (section)

==International career==
[[File:Cristiano Ronaldo (links unten) im EM-Halbfinale gegen die Niederlande.jpg|thumb|right|Stam (top center) with [[Jorge Andrade]] (left), [[Cristiano Ronaldo]] (bottom center) and [[Giovanni van Bronckhorst]] (right) during the Netherlands' [[UEFA Euro 2004|Euro 2004]] semi-final against [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]]. This was his final match for the country.]]
Stam made his debut for [[Netherlands national football team|the Netherlands]] on 24 April 1996 in a 1–0 friendly defeat to [[Germany national football team|Germany]] in [[Rotterdam]]. He was not initially chosen for [[UEFA Euro 1996]], but was later added to the squad after an injury ruled out [[Frank de Boer]]; he did not however make any appearances at the tournament. He scored his first goal on 6 September 1997 in a 3–1 home win over rivals Belgium in World Cup qualification. He was also an important player in the Dutch team that finished fourth in the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]].<ref name=rsssf>{{cite web |title=Jaap Stam - International Appearances |website=[[RSSSF]] |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/stam-intl.html |access-date=12 February 2021}}</ref>

During [[UEFA Euro 2000]], he once again reached the semi-finals with the Dutch team, hosted in his home country and Belgium. Stam missed his attempt in the penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals, hitting the ball over the bar in a defeat against [[Italy national football team|Italy]]. He was not originally scheduled to take a penalty, but had to due to substitutions and fatigue among his teammates.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Khan |first1=Danyal |title=Jaap Stam: I wasn't supposed to take penalty at Euro 2000 |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12021/12017311/jaap-stam-i-wasnt-suppose-to-take-penalty-at-euro-2000 |access-date=12 February 2021 |publisher=Sky Sports |date=30 June 2020}}</ref>

Stam reached his third semi-finals in an international competition with his nation at [[UEFA Euro 2004]] in Portugal and retired from international football after the tournament. The reason cited for his international retirement was that he wanted to focus on his new team, Milan, as well as his family.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stam steps down |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12021/12017311/jaap-stam-i-wasnt-suppose-to-take-penalty-at-euro-2000 |access-date=12 February 2021 |publisher=UEFA |date=26 May 2004}}</ref>

In total, he played 67 matches for the Netherlands, scoring three goals.<ref name=rsssf/>