Virgil van Dijk in action for Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk in action for Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk is 35, and Liverpool still depend on him more than on any other player.
He played every minute of the club’s 2025/26 Premier League campaign and was the only outfield player in the division to do so. He also made 55 appearances in all competitions, the most of his Liverpool career.
The workload has continued this season, with Van Dijk playing every minute of Liverpool’s nine Premier League games. The captain has returned to top form alongside Jeremy Jacquet.
He played all 90 minutes of the Netherlands’ four Nations League matches in September and October, scoring in the 2-2 draw at Greece on October 1.
The last of those games, a 2-1 win over Serbia in Eindhoven on October 4, was his 100th cap. He became the 11th Dutch man to reach that mark.
Now his fellow professionals have put him forward for a major individual honour.
FIFPRO announced on Monday that Van Dijk is one of 26 finalists for the 2026 Men’s World 11.
More than 26,000 professional footballers from 75 countries voted for the men’s and women’s teams.
The men’s finalists are the players who received the most votes for their performances from August 4, 2025 to July 19, 2026. Each had to play at least 30 official matches in that period.
The window includes the World Cup, where Van Dijk captained the Netherlands through an unbeaten group stage. Morocco then beat the Dutch on penalties in the round of 32.
The goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards with the most votes make the team. The remaining outfield player with the next highest number of votes takes the final place.
FIFPRO will announce the World 11 on Monday, November 9, from 14:00 CET on its digital platforms.
Van Dijk already has a strong record in this award. He was voted into the team in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
His fifth selection last year left only nine players with more appearances since the first edition in 2005. Iker Casillas, Kevin De Bruyne and John Terry are the only other men with exactly five.
He earned that place after starting 37 of 38 league games as Arne Slot’s side won the Premier League.
The other defenders on the list are Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Gabriel, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano. Van Dijk is the only Liverpool player among the 26 finalists.
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