The Netherlands only had to avoid defeat to mathematically confirm their spot at the 2026 World Cup this week, but instead tore apart Lithuania in an emphatic 4-0 win.
Liverpool teammate Cody Gakpo was among the goals as Van Dijk’s side cruised to victory, but the 3 points were overshadowed by the defender breaking a long held record.
Van Dijk has now captained his country on more occasions than any other player after leading them for the 72nd time. Dutch legend Frank de Boer was the previous record holder and sent a classy message to Van Dijk after the game.
“Virgil, congratulations on breaking my record as the player with the most caps as captain of Oranje.
“You’ve worn the armband 72 times – a great achievement, of which you should be really proud.
“You’re a true leader and hopefully many more great moments will follow with you as captain.”
Van Dijk has been criticised by some pundits for his performances at Liverpool this season but he has the full backing of the squad as they head into the World Cup next year in the US, Canada and Mexico.
10 most capped captains in the history of the Dutch national team
72 – Virgil van Dijk
71 – Frank de Boer
45 – Ruud Krol
41 – Ruud Gullit
37 – Harry Dennis
36 – Edwin van der Sar
34 – Johan Cruyff
33 – Ronald Koeman
33 – Giovanni van Bronckhorst
29 – Pak van Geel