Netherlands v Sweden: Group F - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Source: Getty
Netherlands v Sweden: Group F - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Source: Getty
Virgil van Dijk has provided an update over his fitness following the Netherlands' 5-1 demolition of Sweden in the second group match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Dutch captain, who played the full 90 minutes of Saturday’s clash in Houston, suffered an injury scare following a heavy collision during the latter stages. Visibly in discomfort, he had to be assisted by his Oranje teammates to get back on his feet.
Speaking to NOS after the match, Van Dijk admitted that he took a knock to his feet but allayed fears by saying he doesn’t expect any major issues moving forward.
“I took a knock to my hip and couldn’t feel my thigh anymore; it was strange,” Van Dijk said. “But it was probably a nerve. I think it’s not too bad, but we’ll see.”
Despite being 34 years of age, Van Dijk has been a key player for the Netherlands in north America. He featured in his country’s tournament opener and was on the scoresheet, although they held to a 2-2 draw.
The Netherlands will play Tunisia in their final group stage match. Should the Liverpool man play against the African side, he would set a record of being the country’s national team captain with the most appearances at the World Cup. He is currently tied with Dutch legends including Johan Cruyff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Ruud Krol, and Frank de Boer at seven World Cup matches.
The 2010 runners-up sit atop their group table with four points, and a draw against Tunisia will likely be enough to see them progress to the round of 32.
“We were very solid” – Van Dijk heaps praise on the Netherlands after Sweden drubbing
Regarding the Netherlands performance after seeing off Sweden, Van Dijk praised both his team’s attacking and defensive display, saying they were ‘outstanding.’
“I think we were outstanding for most of the match. We were very solid defensively, strong going forward, and scored five brilliant goals… Now we’re on to the next one,” he told FIFA.
“It wasn’t just them,” he added. “Of course, we’re well aware of the quality they possess; I know them well, especially Alex (Isak). In the first half, right up until the water break, we were doing very well. After that, they changed their system and let Alex play freely, drifting and cutting in from the left. We struggled a bit with that, because he was always unmarked. In the second half, we changed that, of course, and went back to playing very well.
Two goals each from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo, capped off by a late goal from Crysencio Summerville, propelled the Netherlands to a commanding win on the evening.