Memphis Depay arrives at World Cup fit, praised by Netherlands boss | OneFootball

Corinthians forward Memphis Depay is available for the Netherlands national team for their 2026 World Cup debut. The European side faces Japan this Sunday (14) at 5 p.m. (Brasília time) at Dallas Stadium in the United States, in the opening round of Group F of the tournament.

In a press conference last Saturday (13), coach Ronald Koeman confirmed that the No. 10 has fully recovered physically after the injury he suffered at the start of the year and said the player is fit enough to start the match. Even so, the coach chose not to confirm the lineup.

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“We spoke with the players about tomorrow’s lineup, but we can’t reveal anything to you. Memphis is doing well and could even start. He has taken steps forward in his preparation since he arrived,” Koeman said.

In addition to updating the striker’s physical condition, the Dutch manager also recalled Memphis’s decision to move to Corinthians. Koeman said that at first he had doubts about the player’s adaptation to Brazilian football, especially regarding match rhythm, but changed his mind after closely following the competition.

“When he (Memphis) went to Corinthians, my concern was whether he would have match rhythm. That’s why I went to Brazil, and I saw a high-level league with a great atmosphere created by the fans. The only problem was the injuries he had. But he managed to recover, and the league is high level,” he said.

Spell at Corinthians and return to the national team

Memphis arrived at Corinthians in September 2024 after ending his contract with Atlético de Madrid of Spain. With no transfer fee involved, the forward signed with the black-and-white club aiming to win back his place in the Dutch national team, for which he had not been called up since Euro 2024.

At Timão, the player’s impact came quickly. Memphis played a part in the team’s turnaround in the final stretch of the 2024 Brazilian Championship, helping Corinthians move away from the relegation zone and secure a place in the Copa Libertadores.

In November of that year, Ronald Koeman was in Brazil to closely monitor the forward. The coach visited Neo Química Arena during a Corinthians match and also toured the Dr. Joaquim Grava training center.

The No. 10’s strong performances continued in 2025. Memphis was an important part of the campaign that ended with Corinthians winning the Campeonato Paulista title against Palmeiras, a result that contributed to his return to Dutch national team call-ups.

Since then, the forward has become a regular presence on Koeman’s lists. In the European World Cup Qualifiers, Memphis finished as the Netherlands’ top scorer, with eight goals and eight assists. During that stretch, he also became the national team’s all-time top scorer with 55 goals, in addition to reaching the mark of the country’s top assist provider, with 36 assists in 109 matches.

Injury and recovery before the World Cup

Memphis’s presence at the World Cup had become uncertain after a muscle injury suffered in March. The issue happened during the 1-1 draw between Corinthians and Flamengo in Itaquera in the Brazilian Championship.

On that occasion, the forward started the move that led to Corinthians’s goal with an outside-of-the-foot pass to Matheus Bidu, who then found Yuri Alberto. Shortly after the play, Memphis felt pain and left the field.

After medical tests, a grade 2 injury to the front muscle of his right thigh was diagnosed, sidelining the player for more than two months.

He returned on May 25, when he came on in the second half of Corinthians’s win over Atlético-MG in the Brasileirão. He then also featured in the 2-0 defeat to Argentina’s Platense in the Libertadores.

For the Dutch national team, Memphis returned to action on June 3 in a 1-0 loss to Algeria. The forward came on in the second half of the match played at Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam. He then remained on the bench in the 2-1 win over Uzbekistan and took part in a subsequent training match against the same team.

Corinthians receive compensation during the World Cup

While Memphis is with the Netherlands national team at the World Cup, Corinthians will receive financial compensation for releasing the player for the tournament.

Through the program for clubs that release players for the World Cup, Timão will receive five thousand dollars per day, which corresponds to approximately R$ 25,000 at the current exchange rate.

The Netherlands are in World Cup Group F and, after facing Japan, will next take on Sweden on the 20th at 2 p.m. (Brasília time) in Houston, and Tunisia on the 25th at 8 p.m. (Brasília time) in Kansas City.

Renewal with Corinthians

Alongside the World Cup, Memphis remains in talks over staying at Corinthians. The forward’s current contract expires at the end of July, and the club has already presented a renewal offer.

The decision is now in the player’s hands. Internally, there is positive expectation about the continuation of the deal, since Memphis has already stated on other occasions that he wants to remain at Parque São Jorge.

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