'Big goal from a big player!' - Van Dijk scores Netherlands opener
Virgil van Dijk scores the opening goal in the Netherlands Group F match against Japan at the 2026 World Cup.
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Key People
Crysencio Summerville is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a winger.
Frenkie de Jong is a Dutch professional footballer known for his midfield play.
Keito Nakamura is a Japanese professional footballer recognized for his offensive play.
Koki Ogawa is a Japanese professional soccer player who plays as a striker.
Ronald Koeman is a former professional footballer and the coach of the Netherlands national team.
Ryan Gravenberch is a Dutch professional footballer playing as a midfielder.
Virgil van Dijk is a Dutch professional football player who plays as a defender for Liverpool.
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Virgil van Dijk scores the opening goal in the Netherlands Group F match against Japan at the 2026 World Cup.
Virgil van Dijk won the Superior Player of the Match award after the Netherlands' 2-2 draw with Japan in the opening group stage game of the World Cup, scoring the opening goal with an impressive header at the start of the second half.
The Netherlands and Japan shared the spoils in a dramatic 2–2 draw in their opening Group F fixture at the FIFA World Cup, with Daichi Kamada’s late intervention securing a point for Japan after a fiercely contested encounter.
The Netherlands and Japan produced a thrilling contest in their World Cup curtain-raiser, with Virgil van Dijk opening the scoring with a perfectly placed header, but the Dutch were held to a 2-2 draw after Japan's late equalizer.
Ryan Gravenberch assisting Virgil van Dijk for the Netherlands against Japan is only the second ever World Cup goal scored and assisted by a Liverpool player, but the Dutch were held to a 2-2 draw after conceding a late equalizer.
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