Memphis Depay and Bart Verbruggen have both been declared fit for the Netherlands' World Cup Group F opener against Japan in Dallas on Sunday. Depay, the nation's all-time top scorer, missed the final warm-up friendly against Uzbekistan due to a thigh injury sustained while playing for Corinthians in Brazil. Verbruggen, the Brighton goalkeeper, was a doubt after landing awkwardly in that 2-1 win, but he starts after being cleared of a bruised hip.
Team News and Lineup
Dutch manager Ronald Koeman confirmed on Saturday that both players were in contention. Depay, who only played 45 minutes off the bench in a previous warm-up against Algeria, is not in the starting XI. Instead, Donyell Malen, who scored seven goals in his last seven appearances for Roma, gets the nod up front.
Denzel Dumfries, heading to Real Madrid this summer, starts at right-back. Tottenham's Micky van de Ven plays on the left, while Jan Paul van Hecke partners captain Virgil van Dijk in central defense. Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch and Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong form the midfield double pivot. Cody Gakpo, who scored twice against Uzbekistan, starts on the left wing. Tijjani Reijnders, despite limited minutes at Manchester City this season, is the preferred option in the attacking midfield role. West Ham's Crysencio Summerville starts on the right after featuring in both warm-up games.
Starting XI
- Goalkeeper: Bart Verbruggen
- Defenders: Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk (c), Micky van de Ven
- Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong, Tijjani Reijnders
- Forwards: Crysencio Summerville, Donyell Malen, Cody Gakpo
The match kicks off at 9pm BST on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Coverage is available on ITV.
