Virgil van Dijk makes decision on future after boss flies in for talks with Liverpool ace
Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk is out of contract at the end of the 2024-25 season, while his international future has also been in question since Euro 2024
Virgil van Dijk will continue representing the Dutch national team until the 2026 World Cup after holding talks with Oranje boss Ronald Koeman.
The Liverpool centre-back turned 33 during Euro 2024, when he was part of a Netherlands side which reached the semi-finals under Koeman. After being eliminated by England, though, there was some doubt over his international future.
Van Dijk's club future remains up in the air, with his Liverpool contract up in June 2025. He is one of three senior stars out of contract at the end of the season, with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold also at risk of leaving on a free at the end of the current season.
Regardless of whether he's still at Anfield in 2026, though, he's set to be part of the Dutch squad in North America if they qualify for the tournament, held across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Koeman, who brought the defender to the Premier League when in charge of Southampton, flew to Merseyside to convince Van Dijk to continue his international career and has now opened up on those talks.
"I noticed how Virgil was feeling, so I thought it was important to visit him," Koeman told De Telegraaf. "But he indicated that he still wants to go for it for two years, towards the World Cup. I have that feeling with him too, despite the fact that he did not reach his level at the last European Championship.
"He has filled [the role of captain] very well and we have also discussed how he can manage that better in combination with his own game. It is very positive that he is in front of the group like that, but you have to reach your own level first.
"That is the most important thing. He thought he was too busy with others, he indicated. But he was also not chosen for the best Premier League team for nothing."
How far can the Netherlands go at the 2026 World Cup? Have your say in the comments section
European nations will begin their qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup in March 2025, and the draw has yet to be made. The Netherlands will first take part in the UEFA Nations League, with the first fixtures held this month,
Koeman's team topped their group in the last edition of the Nations League, but lost to Croatia in the semi-finals. They remain in League A this time out, where they have been drawn in a group with Hungary, Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Dutch squad for their first two games, at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina and away to Hungary, has a notable absentee in the form of Steven Bergwijn. Koeman has warned the former Tottenham winger his international career is over following a summer move from Ajax to Saudi side Al-Ittihad.
“The book is basically closed,” Koeman told reporters on Tuesday. “I think that when you’re 26, the ambition should be sporting and not financial."
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