Van Dijk’s lapse fuels columnists’ fury after Dutch exit

In the dying minutes of , Morocco's equaliser, born from a decisive run past Virgil van Dijk, forced the World Cup round‑of‑16 tie into a penalty shootout. The Dutch defender, hampered by a lingering calf injury, could not stop the forward's sprint into the box before the cross was met. The Netherlands had been eliminated by Morocco after the shootout, following a late equaliser that sent the match into . The knockout defeat ended the Dutch campaign, which had been expected to progress further. Columnist Valentijn Driessen launched an extraordinary attack on the Liverpool captain, declaring that “Ronald Koeman and Virgil van Dijk have betrayed everything our national team stands for.” Driessen wrote the piece in De , reserving little sympathy for either player or departing manager Ronald Koeman.

Hans van Breukelen blasts Dutch penalty woes after World Cup exit

He argued that the Netherlands' switch to a back three was forced because Van Dijk had failed to organise the defence effectively during the group stage, and he blamed the defender for losing his marker on the decisive Moroccan chance. Driessen concluded that the defender’s “time is up.” Despite the late lapse, Van Dijk remained influential for long periods, contributing important clearances, winning aerial duels and helping limit Morocco’s attacking threat for much of normal time. For a player built on anticipation, positioning and authority inside the penalty area, the moment was an unusual lapse at a crucial stage. After the match, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman revealed that Van Dijk’s calf had been “bothering him badly” during the latter stages, yet the Liverpool defender continued through to aid his country’s semi‑final hopes. Playing through injury inevitably affects mobility, sharpness and recovery speed, especially for a central defender defending large spaces late in exhausting knockout matches. Attention now turns to Van Dijk’s recovery ahead of Liverpool’s new domestic campaign and the Netherlands’ planning for their next international cycle. Whether Driessen’s fierce criticism reflects broader opinion, the defender’s response on the pitch will attract significant attention when he next represents the Netherlands.