There’s a raft of Premier League experience running through Netherlands’ World Cup 2026 backline.
Bart Verbruggen, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk and Micky van de Ven are all expected to start for the Oranje against Japan this weekend. Brighton, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all established top-flight sides.
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Netherlands will certainly call upon this Premier League knowhow as they seek to make an impact in North America. A European powerhouse in their own right, Netherlands are hoping to shake their World Cup curse this summer.
They have reached the final of football’s showpiece three times and are yet to win the World Cup. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. The Netherlands, though, have a squad capable of going to distance. And the Oranje’s secret weapon arguably comes in defence rather than attack.
Netherlands packed with talent
Ronald Koeman has the offensive players capable of putting opponents to the sword. Cody Gakpo comes alive during tournament football. Memphis Depay is the nation’s all-time goalscorer. Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders and Frenkie de Jong all ply their trade for Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona. The star players turn out for Europe’s top sides.
However, Van de Ven is expected to be the ace up Koeman’s sleeve. The Spurs man endured an indifferent domestic campaign, that goes without saying. Then again, few for the north London side covered themselves in glory. A 17th-placed finish will do that to any team.
Roberto De Zerbi, then, deserves immense credit for guiding Spurs to safety on the final day of the season. He took over a team devoid of confidence and secured their top-flight status, relegating rivals West Ham in the process. There was an immediate uptick in form among the underperforming Spurs stars, and Van de Ven was no different.
Van de Ven assumed leadership role
Without Cristian Romero due to injury, Van de Ven assumed the captain’s armband for the final weeks of the season. And while Spurs missed the Argentine for his build-up play, the Dutchman upped his game to guide the club to safety. The issue for Van de Ven, though, is that he lacks the requisite distribution to truly make it as an elite centre-back in the modern game.
Centre-backs are no longer there to provide a shield for the goalkeeper. They are the ones to get the ball rolling. They instigate attacks from the back. The very best defenders can pick out a teammate with ease.
It’s why Koeman opts for a centre-back partnership of Van Dijk and Van Hecke at international level. The duo ranked first (2792) and second (2521), respectively, for passes in the Premier League last season. Van de Ven, meanwhile, was down in 23rd (1770) for this metric.
What Van de Ven lacks in distribution, he makes up for with his physical qualities. The Spurs man is one of the fastest players in England’s top tier. He’s an expert covering defender with a knack for surging upfield when he sees fit. His assist against Manchester United and goal against FC Copenhagen are cases in point.
Future Spurs role?
It’s for this reason why Koeman favours Van de Ven at left-back rather than centre-back. Netherlands are able to dominate possession and dictate the play yet have the overlapping full-backs to stretch the game, with Real Madrid-bound Denzel Dumfries starting on the opposite flank in the absence of Arsenal star Jurrien Timber.
And with the wideman prepared to cut inside from their respective flanks, the space is provided for the full-backs to get down the wings to provide the width. It’s also a potential indication on how De Zerbi may use Van de Ven at club level.
The addition of Marcos Senesi and pursuit of Van Hecke provides an indication of how De Zerbi will set his Spurs side up next season. He wants his centre-backs to be heavily involved in the build up play. Senesi and Van Hecke will see that dream come to fruition. Admittedly, Van de Ven may play the covering role in the centre-back partnership.
Conversely, in operating at left-back at the World Cup, it’ll show just how effective Van de Ven can be on the left side of defence. Given Spurs’ left-back issues last season, it could be that 25-year-old instead plays a more offensive role rather than at the heart of the defence. Doing so would maximise Van de Ven’s speed and power when he breaks forward.
These two qualities will be vital for the Netherlands this summer. And against a Japan side that’ll sit deep and remain compact, Van de Ven may be the man to break the Samurai Blue apart in the Oranje’s quest for an opening victory.
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