Virgil van Dijk expressed his disappointment after the Netherlands were held to a 2-2 draw by Japan in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Liverpool defender opened the scoring for the Dutch side, but the Netherlands were unable to secure victory after surrendering the lead twice during the match.

Speaking after the game, Van Dijk made it clear that he was dissatisfied with the result.

“I am not happy with a point,” he said.

Reflecting on Japan’s first equalizer, the Netherlands captain felt the goal could have been avoided.

“We have only ourselves to blame for that. It is clear that he is right-footed, so that could have been prevented,” Van Dijk added.

The draw has increased scrutiny on Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman, who has faced criticism from sections of the Dutch media and supporters following the result.

Koeman has been questioned over the substitutions he made shortly after the Netherlands regained the lead through West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville.

For Summerville, the goal marked a significant moment after previously being on the fringes of the national team squad.

The Netherlands will now turn their attention to their second Group F match against Sweden, who began their World Cup campaign with a 5-1 victory over Tunisia.