Ruud van Nistelrooy joins Netherlands coaching staff ahead of World Cup

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·16 de janeiro de 2026

Ruud van Nistelrooy joins Netherlands coaching staff ahead of World Cup

Ruud van Nistelrooy has taken his first coaching job since leaving Leicester City, joining the Netherlands national team as assistant to Ronald Koeman ahead of the World Cup.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker had been linked with several clubs over the past seven months, but will now help Koeman prepare the squad for the tournament in North America.

Vídeos OneFootball

The Dutch face Japan, Tunisia, and the winner of the play-off between Ukraine, Sweden, Poland and Albania in the group stage.

The Netherlands cruised through their World Cup qualifying group without defeat, dropping points only in two draws against Poland, both home and away.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Dutch were knocked out in the quarter-finals, falling on penalties to eventual champions Argentina.

Ruud van Nistelrooij will be part of the Dutch national team's coaching staff from February 1. The former striker will join Ronald Koeman as an assistant coach in preparation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Welcome back, Ruud! 🧡 #NothingLikeOranje #FIFAWorldCup
– sexta-feira, 16 de janeiro de 2026