Netherlands 2-2 Japan: The Netherlands already look overly reliant on aging captain Virgil van Dijk, who scored the opening goal on a disappointing afternoon in Dallas.
Virgil van Dijk was a key player for the Netherlands in the World Cup opener against Japan (Image: Rico Brouwer/Soccrates)
In some ways it felt fitting that irrepressible captain Virgil van Dijk had started the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign in style.
He won’t be around forever, but even at the ripe old age of 34, the imposing central defender remains absolutely essential to both club and country.
Before the start of the tournament, no player in Europe’s top five leagues had played more minutes than Van Dijk’s 5,841 minutes since June 2025. Remarkably, he has missed just 279 minutes in total (90 for the Netherlands, 189 for Liverpool), an unusual number for a player who is arguably now in the final stages of an illustrious career.
Perhaps due to Bert Verbruggen’s recent back problems, the Liverpool captain even took goal kicks and took more touches (114) than any other player on the pitch. No other player surpassed his nine defensive contributions.
Even if the Netherlands are ready to end their grueling wait for World Cup glory, which seems a long way off at the moment, maintaining Van Dijk’s fitness remains essential.
The Dutch have added depth in defense, with Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Chelsea’s Jorel Hato coming on as substitutes, allowing them to rest their inspirational leader for short periods if needed, but there’s no getting away from the fact that virtually everything will come through him.
Ronald Koeman’s possession-based style isn’t exactly ‘total football’, but Van Dijk constructs and coordinates almost every play from the back, pointing and commanding his teammates around the pitch as if it were a chessboard.
Naturally, he may have lost some of his acceleration and sprint speed, but there’s a solid argument that he’s more durable than ever after playing 55 games for Liverpool last season.
Van Dijk scores the opening goal between Japan and the Netherlands (Image: Maja Hitij – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
At 34 years and 320 days old, he became the oldest player to play every game in a Premier League campaign, surpassing the record previously set by John Terry. This is the second time Van Dijk has played every game in the top flight, having reached this milestone in 2019-20 when he led the Reds to their first Premier League title.
If the Netherlands finish high in the tournament, it could have a devastating effect on Liverpool’s Andoni Iraola next season, as the physical demands could be quite taxing.
Van Dijk has played one intense match after another at the top level and eventually something will have to give – first of all, that may mean signing a suitable secondary player.
Despite Dallas Stadium’s impressive sealed roof and industrial-grade HVAC system that maintains tolerable temperatures, it’s no secret that conditions in North America are sweltering.
Japan attacked in the final stages and lost all three points to the Netherlands.
If you want to go far, you’ll also have to navigate an additional knockout game, the Round of 32. Van Dijk, like other elite stars, only has a few weeks to rest and prepare for the World Cup.
It was 31 degrees in Arlington, Texas, when he scored the first goal in the 50th minute with a high header that hit the post.
It was impossible to ignore that somehow Van Dijk was the only one on the field wearing a base layer in what was essentially a greenhouse-like climate.
In the 85th minute, Van Dijk ducked and headed home from inside his own six-yard box as the Netherlands looked to protect their one-goal lead, but Japan equalized shortly after with a goal from Daichi Kamata.
The goal was definitely on the horizon and there appeared to be some tension and hesitation within the Oranje camp outside of Van Dijk, but Japan punished them mercilessly.
Unsurprisingly, Van Dijk was named player of the match. He’s just a machine and his contribution to the game was outstanding, so he’s a player we have to really thank before he retires.
Under his leadership, the Netherlands and Liverpool have a good relationship, but they need to improve technically, tactically and mentally to be a serious force at this World Cup. Van Dijk can’t do it all alone.
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