Netherlands World Cup squad: De Roon, Malen and Dumfries star whilst De Vrij misses out | OneFootball

Ronald Koeman has named his final 26-man Netherlands squad for the 2026 World Cup, with several players with connections to Serie A featuring prominently while Stefan de Vrij’s omission has been confirmed

The headline news of the announcement is the recovery of Memphis Depay from a muscular injury that had threatened his participation.

The Corinthians striker, the Netherlands’ all-time top scorer, will lead the attack alongside Roma’s Donyell Malen, who rounds off a remarkable season with a place in the squad after his transformative impact at the Stadio Olimpico.

Inter’s Denzel Dumfries also features, despite his uncertain club future with his release clause active this summer.

Atalanta’s Marten de Roon makes a welcome return having been absent from the national setup since March 2024, while Juventus’s Teun Koopmeiners also makes the cut despite a difficult season in Turin.

De Vrij omission and Veerman snub the major talking points of Koeman’s World Cup squad

De Vrij’s exclusion will raise eyebrows given his experience, though the Inter defender’s uncertain club future, his contract expires this summer, may have influenced Koeman’s thinking.

Equally controversial is the absence of PSV midfielder Joey Veerman, who had publicly clashed with the national team coach in recent weeks, declaring he had heard enough of Koeman’s public criticism of him.

Jerdy Schouten and Xavi Simons are both absent through injury, with Justin Kluivert recalled to fill the creative void left by Simons’ anterior cruciate ligament damage.

Arsenal’s Jurriën Timber has been included despite ongoing fitness concerns.

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – SEPTEMBER 04: Denzel Dumfries of Netherlands stands for the national anthem prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Netherlands and Poland at De Kuip on September 04, 2025 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Full Netherlands World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Flekken, Roefs, Verbruggen. Defenders: Aké, Botman, Dumfries, Hato, Timber, Van de Ven, Van Dijk, Van Hecke, Wieffer. Midfielders: De Jong, De Roon, Gravenberch, Kluivert, Koopmeiners, Reijnders, Til, Q. Timber. Forwards: Brobbey, Depay, Gakpo, Lang, Malen, Summerville, Weghorst.