Wesley Sneijder, one of the world's best midfielders, compiled his ultimate starting XI of former teammates ahead of his final game for the Netherlands. However, he left out a huge name: Robin van Persie, the Netherlands' all-time top scorer.
The Dream Team Selection
In 2018, Sneijder chose a breathtaking forward trio of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Samuel Eto'o, and Arjen Robben. The omission of van Persie made even neutral fans' jaws drop.
The Root of the Feud
Fans and pundits speculated that a lasting feud began over a disagreement about who should take a free kick at Euro 2008. However, the actual trigger seemed to be a few days prior, when van Persie left a lasting impression on Sneijder with a late tackle in training.
Public Fallout
Sneijder, now 42, was far from pleased by the tackle and publicized the incident on his website, drawing attention from the Dutch press. The tension escalated during the Netherlands' 3-1 quarter-final loss to Russia. With the Oranje trailing 1-0, they were awarded a free kick in a threatening position. Despite Sneijder being the team's set-piece specialist, van Persie took control of the ball, attempted the kick, and missed.
Four months later, an irate Sneijder reignited the dispute in a Dutch newspaper, claiming van Persie had "broken agreements." He said: "From the first practice game, I've been designated as the man who takes free-kicks – no-one else is supposed to touch the ball."
Van Persie retorted: "I expected more class from Wesley." He dismissed the claim, saying: "Besides, it's absolute nonsense that he's the only one who can take free-kicks. You can ask the coach." He expressed annoyance at Sneijder for bringing their private disagreement into the public domain.
Attempts at Reconciliation
By 2013, it seemed that Sneijder had let bygones be bygones. In that year's Ballon d'Or, he voted for van Persie, who was then the national team's captain and had won the Premier League with Manchester United. However, five years later, his decision to select Ibrahimovic over van Persie for his best starting XI implied lingering resentment.
When asked why he chose the Swede over his compatriot, Sneijder replied that he was "personally good with him."
Sneijder's Ultimate Team
Sneijder's ultimate team featured Julio Cesar, Christian Chivu, Sergio Ramos, Javier Zanetti, Marcelo, Clarence Seedorf, Guti, Dejan Stankovic, Samuel Eto'o, Arjen Robben, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Life After Football
Both players lead very different lives now. Since hanging up his boots in 2017, van Persie went into football management, taking charge of Heerenveen in 2024 before becoming Feyenoord coach in February 2025. He started well, turning their season around, finishing third, and qualifying for the Champions League qualifiers. However, after failing to reach the group stage and enduring a run of defeats, he was sacked at the end of his second campaign, despite the club finishing second in the league.
Sneijder, meanwhile, turned to alcohol after retiring in 2019 – but not in the way you think. He brews his own line of gin, Swique, and runs the business with Claudia Sneijder, his late mother's sister-in-law.
