The Netherlands are one of the World Cup’s eternal bridesmaids. Despite being one of the most famous footballing nations on the planet, the Dutch have never won a World Cup trophy.
In 2026, they will be looking to rectify this. Here is how we think the Netherlands might line up for their first game at the tournament – including Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur stars.
GK: Bart Verbruggen
There is some solid competition for this spot, but Bart Verbruggen’s existing international experience should be enough to give him the nod.
Verbruggen has been excellent for Brighton this season – at 72.3%, he has the second-best save percentage ratio in the Premier League in 2025/26.
RB: Denzel Dumfries
The Netherlands’ back four seems to be set in stone. Generally, Ronald Koeman likes to play Denzel Dumfries on the right, given his penchant for marauding full-back runs.
Dumfries has been an integral member of The Netherlands’ setup for well over half a decade now. With 69 caps under his belt, you can bet that he’ll have a major part to play at the World Cup.
CB: Jurrien Timber
Jurrien Timber has played predominantly as a right-back for Arsenal this season, but he almost always features at centre-back for his country.
An adaptable player, Timber will have no problem with the transistion – he began his career playing at the heart of defence. While not the tallest defender in the world, he makes up for it with his rugged physicality.
CB: Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk’s place in this XI will certainly be debated, but as the current Netherlands captain, it’s hard to leave the Liverpool man out.
His mistakes have been frequently highlighted this season – Van Dijk isn’t the player he used to be. Nevertheless, at 34, he knows this is his last World Cup. As such, we’re expecting him to go out with a bang.