Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk marked a special moment in his international career after waiting 94 matches in the famous orange shirt to score his first goal in major tournaments, during his side's opening fixture against Japan at the 2026 World Cup.
Van Dijk made his mark in the current edition of the tournament after opening the scoring for the Netherlands five minutes into the second half, heading home a cross from his Liverpool teammate Ryan Gravenberch.
The Netherlands captain added another achievement to his international career by reaching his 14th goal for his country — though it was his first at a major tournament, whether the World Cup or continental championships.
Van Dijk was making his second World Cup appearance, having featured with the Netherlands at Qatar 2022, when the side reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Argentina on penalties following a 2–2 draw after 90 and 120 minutes, before Argentina went on to claim the title.
Van Dijk's goal was the Netherlands' 97th in their World Cup history, before his teammate Crysencio Summerville added a second in the 64th minute, taking the Dutch tally in the tournament to 98 goals.