Virgil Van Dijk Suffers Injury Strain During Netherlands' 5-1 Win over Sweden
June 22, 2026 · Global
Virgil van Dijk suffered an injury strain as the Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1 at the World Cup, but he hopes to recover in time for their next match against Tunisia.
The Netherlands managed a spectacular 5-1 win over Sweden in their second World Cup group game on Saturday evening, but the win was overshadowed by serious injury concerns for Virgil van Dijk. The Liverpool captain revealed the tense moment he temporarily lost feeling in the top of his leg after a heavy blow to the hip.
Even though the Oranje team appeared very dominant on the field and managed to beat Sweden with a landslide score of 5-1, Van Dijk did not come out of the battle unscathed, suffering a serious collision which caused momentary panic among the Dutch technical staff. Speaking to NOS after the match, the Liverpool defender explained the strange and worrying physical sensation he experienced following the heavy impact.
"I got hit hard in the hip and I couldn't feel the top of my leg, so it was a bit crazy," said Van Dijk. "But it might just be a pinched nerve."
The Oranje's next match, against Tunisia, will be a historic moment for Van Dijk who will break the record as the Dutch captain with the most appearances in the World Cup. Currently, he is behind seven World Cup matches as captain, alongside legends Johan Cruyff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Frank de Boer and Ruud Krol. Despite the injury, he does not expect any major problems in the future. He believes he will be able to join training sessions in the next few days and be ready to be deployed.
"I don't think it's too serious, but we'll see," added Van Dijk.
Van Dijk's injury concerns are not the only medical problem plaguing the Dutch team, as star midfielder Frenkie de Jong is also experiencing uncertainty regarding his fitness. De Jong revealed that his fitness problems were due to a collision that occurred earlier in the team's training session.
"We had a collision during training, and I was also involved in it," explained De Jong. “I had a little damage from it, but it was fine in the end.”
Although De Jong managed to feature in Saturday's win, he admitted that he didn't feel comfortable during the match. He noted that he felt pain during the game, although it was still manageable. While it remains a question mark whether he will be able to train in the next few days, the midfielder remains optimistic about his recovery. "We'll see how he reacts, but I'm confident," concluded De Jong.
After a disappointing draw against Japan that drew criticism of coach Ronald Koeman, the Netherlands bounced back with a devastating attacking display to beat Sweden. Cody Gakpo led a convincing win by scoring twice, while Brian Brobbey also registered a brace to put Oranje well ahead. Although Anthony Elanga managed to score one goal for Sweden, Crysencio Summerville capped a superb performance for the Dutch side. By successfully neutralizing the Swedish side who previously beat Tunisia 5-1, Koeman's men are now on track to win the group, only needing a win over Tunisia in the final match to ensure top spot.