When Virgil van Dijk set a world record, he had never played in a World Cup. Indeed, he would not for almost another five years. Now, a defender who was once the world’s best heads for the global stage, for presumably the last time, is still undefeated in World Cups.
In a way, anyway. The Netherlands exited the 2022 tournament undefeated over 90 or 120 minutes, but was beaten on penalties by Argentina in the last eight. Van Dijk’s last touch of the competition was the spot kick he saw saved by Emi Martinez. Perhaps it was a sign of his stature that the men selected to take the first penalty for their respective countries were him and Lionel Messi.
