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Netherlands Name Van Dijk Captain, Depay Returns, Frimpong Omitted

5/27/2026

Summary

Netherlands Announces Squad

The Netherlands announced a 26-man World Cup squad, naming Virgil van Dijk captain and omitting Jeremie Frimpong.
Memphis Depay returned after a thigh injury, appearing as a substitute in Corinthians’ 1-0 win on May 24.
The squad includes Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen—Malen has 14 goals in 18 Roma games—Frenkie de Jong, Premier League players—van Dijk, Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch among them—and fixtures versus Japan (June 14), Sweden (June 20) and Tunisia (June 25).

Summary

Koeman Ditches Media

Coach Ronald Koeman will stop reading media and social media during the tournament to avoid distractions.
The Netherlands were drawn into Group F with Sweden, Japan and Tunisia, a combination never faced together at a World Cup.
Koeman said the side is “hard to beat” despite being seventh-ranked and far from top nations, recalling the Netherlands have reached three World Cup finals (1974, 1978, 2010) but never won the trophy.

Summary

Netherlands Sets Squad

The Netherlands must submit a 35-55-player preliminary list by May 11, a final 26-man roster by May 30, and announce it on May 27.
FIFA permits replacing a player only for serious injury or illness up to 24 hours before the first match, but goalkeepers may be swapped anytime.
The squad ranges from 20-year-old Kees Smit (AZ Alkmaar) to 34-year-old Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) and features players from Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga and Eredivisie.

History

Historical Context

In the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Rinus Michels coached the Netherlands to the final, where Johan Cruyff captained a side that lost 2–1 to West Germany on 7 July at Munich’s Olympiastadion. The knockout stage featured nine of sixteen squads with players abroad, a pattern echoed by today’s Dutch team under Ronald Koeman and starring Virgil van Dijk.

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Netherlands Announces Squad

The Netherlands announced a 26-man World Cup squad, naming Virgil van Dijk captain and omitting Jeremie Frimpong.
Memphis Depay returned after a thigh injury, appearing as a substitute in Corinthians’ 1-0 win on May 24.
The squad includes Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen—Malen has 14 goals in 18 Roma games—Frenkie de Jong, Premier League players—van Dijk, Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch among them—and fixtures versus Japan (June 14), Sweden (June 20) and Tunisia (June 25).

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