Corinthians move sealed Memphis World Cup return | OneFootball

Memphis, the Netherlands’ record scorer, heads to the World Cup after a trophy-winning spell at Corinthians put him back at the heart of Ronald Koeman’s plans. According to Globo.com, his move to São Paulo followed a spell out of squads and has him reinforcing the Oranje in 2026.

The Netherlands open against Japan on Sunday at 17:00 Brasília time, then face Sweden at 14:00 on 20 June and Tunisia at 20:00 on 25 June in Group F. Wearing the number 10 shirt, Memphis shares the spotlight with Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool, Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool.

He has 55 international goals, although only three have come at World Cups. Ruud Gullit told Ziggo Sport in September 2025 that Memphis still needs decisive contributions in major games for the national side.

After leaving Atlético de Madrid as a free agent, he signed for Corinthians in September 2024, missed three Koeman lists, then returned in March 2025. Koeman had remarked at the time that Brazil was very far and he did not know the league well, and later travelled to São Paulo to watch Memphis and visit Corinthians’ facilities.

Memphis won the 2025 Campeonato Paulista and Copa do Brasil, plus the 2026 Supercopa do Brasil. He has 79 games, 20 goals and 15 assists for the club, though injuries bit hard, including six spells out in 2025 and a grade two right thigh strain that sidelined him for two months before he returned in late May in a 1-0 win over Atlético-MG.

He started the final tune-up against Platense but was withdrawn at half-time as a precaution, and later admitted frustration with the lay-off while stressing he remained calm about recovery. Whether he starts the opener is still a live question, and if not, Donyell Malen of Roma is poised to lead the line with Summerville and Gakpo out wide.

Source: Globo.com