Image Credits: Imago Images
Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands produced one of the most complete performances of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far on Saturday, dismantling Sweden 5-1 at Houston Stadium to move to the top of Group F.
It was a result that silenced doubters, delighted neutrals and sent a clear message to the rest of the tournament: the Oranje are serious contenders.
Brian Brobbey set the tone with an early brace, before Cody Gakpo notched a double of his own and Crysencio Summerville added a late sealer to ensure Anthony Elanga’s goal for Sweden was nothing more than a consolation.
All six goals were scored by Premier League players, a detail that underlined just how deeply English football’s top flight runs through this Dutch squad.
Two of those goals came from a Liverpool man.
Gakpo provided the assist for Brobbey’s opener, then twice found the net himself, and now has more major tournament goals for his country than Johan Cruyff.
Captain Virgil van Dijk marshalled a backline that largely kept Sweden’s Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres quiet, while Ryan Gravenberch broke lines with ease alongside Frenkie de Jong, helping the Netherlands maintain a high tempo throughout.
After a difficult club season, the performance of the Liverpool trio naturally drew the attention of Dutch football media.
Dutch outlet AD awarded Gakpo an 8 out of 10, noting that after a tough year at Anfield, the winger looked like a player reborn.
“After a tough year at Liverpool, the Dutch golden boy is hitting his stride again,” the publication wrote.
“Just in time.”
Their verdict on Gravenberch was similarly positive.
The Liverpool midfielder earned a 7.5, with AD observing that he “got on the ball more and consequently found his rhythm better, often turning skillfully and making his runs with long strides,” adding that “as the match progressed, the Liverpool midfielder was unstoppable.”
Van Dijk received a 6.5.
AD acknowledged his strong contribution in possession and build-up play, but noted that defensively “things were not right after the water break, partly because Isak and Gyokeres were running all over the place.”
The site pointed specifically to Elanga’s goal, suggesting Van Dijk’s decision to drop back rather than press allowed the Newcastle man the space to finish.
Gakpo would be the happiest because the Liverpool star had struggled to make his mark at Anfield in 2025-26 due to injury problems and managerial strife, but his quality was obvious even against a Sweden side that arrived in Houston having themselves put five past Tunisia.
The Netherlands now face Tunisia on Thursday in Kansas City, with a place in the last 16 firmly in their own hands.
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