Virgil van Dijk became the all-time Netherlands captaincy record holder (72 caps) as his team, with a Cody Gakpo goal, secured their spot in the 2026 World Cup finals by defeating Lithuania 4-0.
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk, who assumed full captaincy in March 2018, recently gave a blunt assessment of his national side’s performances during World Cup qualifying despite nearing a major cap milestone.
According to a report from NOS Sport, Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk offered a forthright assessment of his national side’s recent performances as they approach a critical World Cup qualifying match.
Following the recent 1-1 draw against Poland, the 34-year-old centre-back described the evening as “difficult.” Addressing the challenge posed by their opponents, van Dijk stated:
“It’s always difficult to break through a low block and create a lot of chances.” He also provided a clear breakdown of Poland’s goal, noting: “We lost the ball in a dangerous position… and then it’s open.”
These comments follow a previous match, a 4-0 victory over Malta in World Cup qualifying, where van Dijk also delivered a “blunt verdict.” Asked to sum up that night, he simply said: “We did our duty,” though he later admitted, “In the first half, the tempo was too slow.”
The Liverpool defender, who has amassed 87 senior caps for his country, assumed full captaincy of the Netherlands national team in March 2018.
Since then, he has captained the side to the 2019 UEFA Nations League final (finishing as runners-up), the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, and the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals, cementing his influence as the calming voice and leader for the Oranje.
The Netherlands now requires just a single point in their upcoming match against Lithuania to secure World Cup qualification.