Micky van de Ven

van de Ven registered one shot (zero on goal) and one cross (zero accurate) in Sunday's 2-2 draw against Japan. In addition, he was given a yellow card in the 91st minute.

Analysis: van de Ven played the full 90 minutes in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Japan, operating at left-back in a back four and registering one shot on target from a first-half surge forward, along with one cross, while also picking up a yellow card for a tactical foul on Junya Ito in the second half. The Tottenham Hotspur defender was physically dominant for much of the match but was occasionally tested by Ito's pace in behind, contributing to the defensive pressure that ultimately cost the Netherlands late when Daichi Kamada's deflected header found the top corner in the 89th minute. His ability to carry the ball out from the back and cover ground with elite speed gives the Netherlands a unique defensive weapon, and managing his yellow-card situation will be an important consideration for coach Ronald Koeman heading into the next group-stage fixture.

May 28, 2026

Set for backline role

van de Ven has been named in Ronald Koeman's squad for the 2026 World Cup and is expected to start at center-back, though his ability to operate at left-back also gives the Netherlands valuable tactical flexibility in the defensive unit.

Analysis: van de Ven delivered another impressive campaign with Tottenham despite the club's difficult season, which ended in survival on the final day of the Premier League campaign. The Dutch defender contributed six goals and one assist while posting 53 tackles, 30 interceptions and 159 clearances across 44 appearances in all competitions, underlining his consistency and reliability at the back despite the turbulence around him. His exceptional pace is arguably his most distinctive attribute, allowing him to recover situations that would be beyond most defenders and to press aggressively from the back without leaving dangerous space behind him. At international level, van de Ven forms a near-perfect partnership with Virgil van Dijk, with the duo complementing each other in a way that gives the Netherlands one of the most formidable centre-back pairings at the entire tournament, combining the latter's experience, aerial dominance and leadership with the former's explosive athleticism, energy and ball-carrying ability to turn the backline into a genuine attacking springboard. His speed in particular makes him one of the most difficult defenders to bypass in a one-on-one situation, and his composure in possession fits perfectly into manager Ronald Koeman's style of playing out from the back.