Timber ruled out of World Cup as groin injury dashes lifelong Netherlands dream

Jurrien Timber will miss the 2026 World Cup after the Dutch football federation confirmed on Monday that the Arsenal defender has not recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to participate safely in the tournament. The 24-year-old, who had been part of the Netherlands’ pre-camp in New York, will depart the squad following their warm-up victory over Uzbekistan.

Timber sustained the groin problem during Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League win over Everton on 14 March and spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Although he returned to training in the final week of the Premier League season and came off the bench for more than 50 minutes in the Champions League final defeat to PSG — a match Arsenal lost on penalties — he has not been cleared to take part in the World Cup on medical grounds.

In an Instagram post, Timber expressed his devastation at missing out. “Heartbroken to miss the World Cup,” he wrote. “Representing my country on the biggest stage is something I’ve always dreamed of, and it’s difficult to accept that injury has taken that opportunity away from me. While this isn’t the path I had hoped for, I trust that God has a plan greater than the one I can see right now. Wishing the boys all the best. Make the nation proud!”

The Dutch federation confirmed in an official statement that the decision was made in consultation with medical staff, and that Timber would leave the national team’s pre-camp in New York after the Uzbekistan fixture.

Feyenoord full-back Lutscharel Geertruida has been named as his replacement, having impressed during a loan spell with Sunderland.

Adding a personal dimension to the blow, Timber had been set to share the tournament with his twin brother Quinten, who plays for Marseille and remains in Ronald Koeman’s squad. Quinten will now carry the family’s World Cup ambitions alone across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Timber had not featured in the Netherlands’ penultimate warm-up match against Algeria six days ago, a game they lost 1-0, underlining the doubts over his fitness ahead of the tournament. The Netherlands face Japan, Sweden and Tunisia in their group stage fixtures.