Netherlands Qualify for 2026 World Cup, Van Dijk Sets Captaincy Record

Virgil van Dijk captained the Netherlands to a 4-0 victory over Lithuania on Monday, securing their qualification for the 2026 World Cup and marking his 72nd appearance as national team skipper, a new record for the Oranje.

The win in Vilnius capped a dominant qualifying campaign in Group G, where the Netherlands finished first with 20 points from eight matches, including 27 goals scored and no defeats. They finished three points ahead of second-place Poland, which advanced to playoffs. Cody Gakpo, Van Dijk's Liverpool teammate, opened the scoring with a penalty and provided an assist for the second goal, while Tijjani Reijnders, Xavi Simons, and Donyell Malen added to the tally. Gakpo's contributions brought his international record to 19 goals in 46 appearances, earning praise from former Netherlands striker Pierre van Hooijdonk, who called him the team's standout performer in the campaign.

Van Dijk's milestone surpassed the previous record of 71 captaincies held by Frank de Boer. The 34-year-old, who has 88 caps overall despite missing nearly a full season due to an ACL injury in 2020, received a framed photograph to commemorate the achievement after the match. In an...