Memphis Depay criticised by Dutch press after World Cup opener | OneFootball

Memphis Depay made his first appearance at the 2026 World Cup last Sunday. The Corinthians forward came on in the second half of the 2-2 draw between the Netherlands and Japan, a match valid for the opening round of Group F and played at Dallas Stadium in the United States. After the game, the No. 10’s performance became the target of negative assessments in different international media outlets.

The strongest criticism came from the Netherlands itself. Local publications pointed out that the players brought on by Ronald Koeman throughout the second half were unable to maintain the level shown by the starters, and Memphis was mentioned as one of the names who did little to change the course of the match.

Photo: Disclosure/OnsOranje

Volkskrant and Algemeen Dagblad highlighted the lack of intensity from the players who came off the bench and included the Corinthians forward among those who were unable to provide an answer for the team. In some analyses, the player’s performance was even described as “lazy.”

“The substitutions were a complete disaster, highlighted by the sluggish/labored display of Memphis Depay,” wrote Willem Vissers, head reporter at Volkskrant.

The VoetbalPrimeur website took a similar line. According to the publication, Memphis was hardly involved in attacking plays after coming on and ended up symbolizing the Oranje’s drop in performance in the final minutes of the match.

The analysis stressed that when the forward was brought on, the Netherlands were still holding a 2-1 lead. However, the team lost control of the game and was unable to manage the result, conceding the equalizer shortly before the final whistle.

Telegraaf, meanwhile, took a less harsh approach. The newspaper had been following the player’s physical recovery process before the start of the World Cup and, after the opener, assessed that Memphis has not yet reached his best competitive condition, although Ronald Koeman continues to show confidence in the forward.

The negative reaction went beyond Dutch borders. British news agency Reuters said the Corinthians player had “little impact” during the time he was on the field. The report highlighted that the athlete is still trying to fully regain his rhythm after being sidelined for more than two months due to physical issues.

In Spain, the newspaper Marca also mentioned the No. 10’s quiet performance. For the outlet, the Netherlands lost attacking strength after the changes made by the coach, and Memphis was unable to provide the expected response to get the team back on track.

Like Reuters and part of the Dutch press, the Spanish daily noted that the forward is going through a physical and competitive recovery process, a factor that may explain his subdued display against the Japanese.

Part of Group F, the Netherlands share the group with Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia. The draw in the opener gave the European national team its first point, leaving it in third place. Sweden lead the group after thrashing Tunisia 5-1, while Japan sit second.

The next match for Ronald Koeman’s team will be on Saturday, June 20, at 2 p.m., against Sweden at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Dutch side’s group-stage campaign will end on June 25 at 8 p.m., when they face Tunisia at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.