
Virgil van Dijk
ABOUT VIRGIL VAN DIJK
World Cup pedigree
Virgil van Dijk captained Netherlands at WC2022 — they reached the quarter-final and lost to eventual champions Argentina in a chaotic 2-2 thriller decided on penalties. He is one of two world-class defenders to have captained at multiple major tournaments without winning one.
Role for Netherlands
Liverpool's captain and Netherlands' defensive anchor, Van Dijk is the most-tested ball-playing centre-back in the modern game. He covers space behind the high line, wins aerial duels, and plays line-breaking passes from deep.
WC2026 outlook
Limited individual-scoring markets as a defender, but his presence is a strong predictor of Netherlands' tournament length. At 34 his pace is slightly diminished but his positioning compensates. Watch defender-anytime-scorer markets at set-piece moments.
Best WC2026 odds for Netherlands
Tournament starts 11 June 2026
Virgil van Dijk's WC2026 stats will appear here after the tournament opens with Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Banorte.
Stats update after each match Dijk features in.
QUALIFYING STATS
Performance Metrics
