Van Dijk: Netherlands must be ready to fight at 2026 FIFA World Cup

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk believes the Oranje must be ready to fight for their championship dream. The team arrived in Kansas City on Tuesday, ahead of their  2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Japan.

"Finally we're here," Van Dijk said after the Dutch squad landed. "It's pretty warm. It was warm obviously in New York as well, but now we're here so we can start to get to work."

The Dutchmen will begin their Group F campaign against Japan on Sunday in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas, before facing Sweden and Tunisia.

Van Dijk was a member of the Netherlands side that reached the quarterfinals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, bowing out against eventual champions Argentina on penalty kicks.

The Oranje boast three runner-up finishes – in 1974, 1978 and 2010 – but have never lifted the trophy.

"There are some changes," Van Dijk noted, comparing the current roster to the unit from four years ago. "There are obviously players that are in different stages of their career. So hopefully that will be all positive. There's still work to do. We all understand that."

The Dutch defender, who plays club football for Liverpool, added that the coming days will be crucial as coach Ronald Koeman's team prepare for a difficult opening test against Japan.

"If you want to achieve something, and that's something that we all dream and want, we have to be ready to fight," Van Dijk continued. "This week will be very vital in terms of that."

He felt the mood among the squad was positive, but stressed that the Dutchmen still had work to do before taking the field.

"The atmosphere is obviously good," he added. "But we still have work to do, and that's the feeling that we have at the moment."

Van Dijk will turn 35 before the World Cup final and this tournament could potentially represent his last chance to lead the Netherlands to a long-awaited first global title.