Tottenham star Van Hecke delivers ‘quite ridiculous’ World Cup performance to help Netherlands beat Tunisia 3-1 | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Paul Van Hecke delivered a masterful display as his Netherlands team beat Tunisia, advancing to the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

The new Spurs signing was absolutely unplayable, recording 145 touches, the most of any player in a single game at the 2026 World Cup.

Signed by Tottenham for his ball-playing ability, he completed 130 of his 134 passes – the most of any player in a single game at the tournament.

He won 5/11 duels and won two fouls, recording 10 defensive contributions.

Van Hecke also made 39 passes into the final third, another record in a single game at the summer showpiece in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The 26-year-old was outstanding in the centre of defence, as opposed to fellow Spurs summer signing Andy Robertson, who was absolutely dreadful against Brazil.

Van Hecke capped off the wonderful performance with his first international goal as the Netherlands claimed a resounding 3-1 win.

It is one of the best performances from a centre-half at the tournament so far and he should rightly get the man-of-the-match award.

Tottenham will be hoping this is just a glimpse of what is to come from Van Hecke in north London.

Defensive instability has plagued Spurs for several seasons, with individual errors, poor build-up play and a lack of authority at the back undermining the team’s progress.

Roberto De Zerbi needs a centre-half capable of bringing composure, leadership and quality in possession, and Van Hecke showed all of those attributes against Tunisia.

His record-breaking passing numbers underlined why Spurs invested heavily in him, while his defensive display proved he can dominate at both ends of the pitch.

If he can reproduce performances close to this level in the Premier League, Van Hecke could become the cornerstone of Tottenham’s back line.