During his time at Merseyside, Virgil van Dijk has established himself as one of the great defenders of the modern era since his move from Southampton.
For much of Van Dijk’s time in the Premier League, that assessment has been accurate. Every action he does seems to be done flawlessly and with ease.
Despite being a relatively late bloomer, having not made his international debut or played in one of Europe’s top five leagues until joining Southampton from Celtic at the age of 24, he has been named to the FIFPro World XI five times and finished in 2nd place on the Balon d’Or rankings in 2019.
However, Virgil Van Dijk struggled during the recently concluded 2025-26 season. To be fair, he was one of many Liverpool players who struggled to find form after winning the Premier League the previous season. But in the case of Van Dijk, you can’t help but wonder if his errors that resulted in goals were temporary or due to age catching up with the Dutchman.
When a player’s form suffers as he approaches 35 in July, just before the World Cup quarterfinals, there are bound to be questions about whether it represents a clear decline. Virgil van Dijk has emerged as one of the best defenders in the history of the Netherlands national team.
Van Dijk’s popularity in England has not always been matched in the Netherlands, where, as captain of the national team, he is the leader of a generation that has not received the same level of admiration as previous great teams. Although Van Dijk has yet to win a major international trophy, he has been the driving force behind the Netherlands’ recovery from a difficult period in the mid-2010s.
As captain, he guided the team to a UEFA Nations League final, a World Cup quarter-final, a European Championship semi-final, and the 2026 World Cup. One of the most disappointing moments in Van Dijk’s international career occurred in 2021.
After suffering a serious knee injury while playing for Liverpool in October 2020, he chose not to compete in the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 to allow himself to fully recover for the following season. The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was Van Dijk’s first World Cup.
As captain, he guided the Netherlands to the top of their group before defeating the United States in the Round of 16. In the quarter-finals, the Dutch rallied from 2-0 down to tie Argentina 2-2, but were eliminated on penalties. Van Dijk’s penalty kick was saved in the shootout, ending the Netherlands’ chances of making the semi-finals.
Van Dijk has entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup as captain and one of the tournament’s most experienced defenders. He has expressed his desire to help the Netherlands win their first World Cup and stated that this will most likely be his final major international competition, so you expect him to give everything.
Van Dijk, over his career, has proven his quality time and time again. Time is the one opponent no player can outrun, but it would be premature to conclude that Van Dijk’s career at the highest level is coming to an end.
