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Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk expressed his sadness after his country’s knockout by Morocco in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, saying that exiting the tournament is one of the most difficult moments any footballer can experience.
The Oranje were close to qualify after taking the lead, before Issa Diop struck a header to equalize in stoppage time, taking the tie into extra time and then a penalty shootout, where Bono denied the Dutch to seal qualification for the ‘Atlas Lions’.
Speaking to Dutch media after the match, Van Dijk said: “These are the worst moments for any footballer. It is very difficult to analyze what has happened now. It was a tough and intense game, but unfortunately our World Cup campaign ends here.”
“We had some good periods during the game, we could have done better, but talking about that won’t change anything. Unfortunately, we were knocked out once again.”
The Netherlands captain concluded: “I want to go home as soon as possible to be with my family, that’s all I’m thinking about at the moment.”
With this victory, ‘Atlas Lions’ continue their journey in the 2026 World Cup, to set up a match with Canada, while the Dutch team bid farewell to the competition despite entering the match among the most prominent candidates to qualify.
