Van Dijk loses feeling in leg but plays on as Netherlands demolish Sweden 5-1

Virgil van Dijk suffered a nerve scare that briefly left him unable to feel his upper leg, yet played through it as the Netherlands dismantled Sweden 5-1 in their World Cup group-stage match on Saturday night — a result that also featured braces from Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey.

Speaking to NOS after the final whistle, the Liverpool captain described the alarming moment that had the Dutch technical staff on edge. “I took a hard hit to my hip and I couldn’t feel my upper leg anymore, so that was a little bit crazy,” Van Dijk said. “But it was probably just a pinched nerve.”

Despite the concern, Van Dijk was measured about his prospects heading into the squad’s next fixture. “I think it is not too bad, but we will see shortly,” he added, indicating he expects to return to training in the coming days and remain available for selection.

The match against Sweden also carries a personal milestone for Van Dijk. The upcoming group-stage game against Tunisia will give him the opportunity to become the Netherlands captain with the most appearances at the World Cup outright. He currently shares the record of seven matches as captain with Johan Cruyff, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Frank de Boer and Ruud Krol.

Van Dijk’s scare was not the only fitness concern to emerge from the Dutch camp. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong also entered the match carrying damage sustained in a training-ground collision earlier in the week. “We had a collision at training, and I was also involved in that,” De Jong explained. “I had sustained some damage from it, but in the end, it was okay.”

De Jong managed to complete the match but acknowledged he was not pain-free. Whether he will be able to train fully in the days ahead remains uncertain, though the midfielder struck a confident tone about his recovery. “We’re going to see what the reaction will be, but I have confidence in it,” he said.

On the pitch, the result represented a sharp turnaround for Ronald Koeman’s side after a sluggish opening draw against Japan drew criticism. The 5-1 scoreline against Sweden was a commanding response, with Gakpo and Brobbey each netting twice to power the Oranje into a strong position in their group.