Netherlands have become the latest nation to name their squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup as they look to win the competition for the first time.
Ronald Koeman will lead Netherlands into the World Cup in his second spell in charge of his nation and he’s named what he believes is the 26-man squad that can bring Netherlands their first ever World Cup.
There are plenty of names that will be instantly recognisable with Liverpool legend Virgil van Dijk skippering a squad that includes no fewer than 15 Premier League players and just two from the Netherlands’ Eredivisie.
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Netherlands World Cup 2026 squad
| Squad number | Player | Position | Domestic club | International caps | International goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bart Verbruggen | GK | Brighton & Hove Albion (England) | 27 | 0 |
| 23 | Mark Flekken | GK | Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) | 11 | 0 |
| 13 | Robin Roefs | GK | Sunderland (England) | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Virgil van Dijk | DF | Liverpool (England) | 90 | 12 |
| 22 | Denzel Dumfries | DF | Internazionale (Italy) | 71 | 11 |
| 5 | Nathan Ake | DF | Manchester City (England) | 58 | 5 |
| 2 | Jurrien Timber | DF | Arsenal (England) | 23 | 0 |
| 15 | Micky van de Ven | DF | Tottenham Hotspur (England) | 19 | 1 |
| 6 | Jan Paul van Hecke | DF | Brighton & Hove Albion (England) | 10 | 0 |
| 25 | Jorrel Hato | DF | Chelsea (England) | 7 | 0 |
| 21 | Frenkie de Jong | MF | Barcelona (Spain) | 64 | 2 |
| 3 | Marten de Roon | MF | Atalanta (Italy) | 42 | 1 |
| 14 | Tijjani Reijnders | MF | Manchester City (England) | 30 | 7 |
| 20 | Teun Koopmeiners | MF | Juventus (Italy) | 27 | 3 |
| 8 | Ryan Gravenberch | MF | Liverpool (England) | 25 | 1 |
| 12 | Mats Wieffer | MF | Brighton & Hove Albion (England) | 14 | 1 |
| 26 | Quinten Timber | MF | Marseille (France) | 10 | 1 |
| 16 | Guus Til | MF | PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) | 6 | 1 |
| 10 | Memphis Depay | FW | Corinthians (Brazil) | 108 | 55 |
| 9 | Wout Weghorst | FW | Ajax (Netherlands) | 51 | 14 |
| 18 | Donyell Malen | FW | Roma (Italy) | 51 | 13 |
| 11 | Cody Gakpo | FW | Liverpool (England) | 48 | 19 |
| 7 | Justin Kluivert | FW | Bournemouth (England) | 11 | 0 |
| 19 | Brian Brobbey | FW | Sunderland (England) | 10 | 1 |
| 24 | Crysencio Summerville | FW | West Ham United (England) | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Noa Lang | FW | Galatasaray (Turkey) | 15 | 3 |
It’s a Premier League heavy squad that Ronald Koeman has chosen to head to North and Central America this summer, with 15 Premier League players from clubs such as Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool and Sunderland in the Oranje squad.
Where Dutch sides of a certain vintage always seemed to be top heavy, it’s in defence where the Netherlands’ arguably biggest stars now play – with Virgil van Dijk the team’s leader and Denzel Dumfries having been a highly effective wing-back in his 71 caps for his country.
The likes of Frenkie de Jong and Ryan Gravenberch will bring plenty of control to the midfield but will there be an over-reliance still on the 32 year old Memphis Depay and 33 year old Wout Weghorst in attack? Cody Gakpo will hope not. The Liverpool forward has 19 goals to his name in 48 international appearances.
- Read more: Netherlands World Cup 2026 odds
Three players to look out for this summer
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk remains the defining figure of this Netherlands side, both as captain and as the organiser of Ronald Koeman’s defence. Even as he moves towards the latter stages of his career, he continues to operate at an elite level, combining aerial dominance with an exceptional reading of the game that allows the Netherlands to defend higher up the pitch.
By bringing experience and authority in spades to this Dutch side, Van Dijk will be the leader both on and off the pitch but his age and recent form for Liverpool do raise questions. If he’s not quite at his best, then the Netherlands may miss the injured Matthijs de Ligt alongside him – although Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven seems to be an adequate replacement.
Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City)
The Netherlands are blessed with some highly technical midfielders including Frenkie de Jong and Ryan Gravenberch, but Tijjani Reijnders has emerged as a key figure for Ronald Koeman as he operates in a more progressive role, linking play between midfield and attack and chipping in with a handful of important goals.
His first season with Manchester City has been solid if unspectacular, but he’ll likely be tasked with less defensive work for the Netherlands and expected to be more of a creative force. Not that a season under Pep Guardiola will have hurt and the intensity and discipline added to his game this season will ensure that he can bring even more to this Netherlands side having been one of their stand-out players at Euro 2024 two years ago.
Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool team-mate Cody Gakpo will be the man with the most responsibility on his shoulders within the Dutch attack this summer. Equally dangerous leading the line or cutting in from the left-hand side, the 27 year old’s intelligent movement can cause problems for opponents even when the Netherlands aren’t dominating possession – something which may be useful in the latter stages of the tournament.
With Xavi Simons out injured, Gakpo will likely become his team’s main attacking outlet in this tournament. His output at club level hasn’t been at a fantastic level this season, but he’s still chipped in with 12 G/A in the Premier League for Liverpool and with 19 international goals to his name in 48 caps he knows where the net is on this stage too.
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Netherlands World Cup 2026 fixtures
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