Van Dijk fires back at Dutch press over criticism

Virgil van Dijk addressed the criticism he says he has faced in the Dutch media after the Netherlands were knocked out in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, defending himself in a press conference.

As reported by L’Équipe, Van Dijk believes misleading stories were spread to portray him as the “worst enemy.” In his comments, he said: “On a répandu beaucoup de bêtises pour me faire passer pour le pire des ennemis.”

The context matters as well: he has been called up for Xavi’s first squad list as the new Netherlands coach. That means the captain-like figure is already setting the tone publicly as the new coaching era begins.

For now, the key takeaway is his message of pushback: rather than letting the media narrative define him, Van Dijk is trying to reset the conversation and move on from the negative readings that followed the 2026 exit.