Virgil van Dijk has been criticised for his actions during the Netherlands‘ defeat to Morocco at the 2026 World Cup.

The Liverpool star was named in the Netherlands’ starting lineup for their last 32 against the AFCON champions at Monterrey Stadium.

Ronald Koeman’s side took the lead in the 72th minute through Cody Gakpo, but were pegged back in stoppage-time when Issa Diop headed home.

The match was decided on spot-kicks, and it was Morocco who eventually triumphed as the Netherlands crashed out of the competition.

Virgil van Dijk Criticised For Lack of Leadership

Felipe Mondino/Sipa USA via Reuters

Van Dijk’s leadership during the match has come into question, with many thinking that he should have taken a penalty in the shootout.

Six Netherlands players took penalties, with Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville the three players to fail to score from the spot.

The 34-year-old has taken penalties in high pressure situations before, famously scoring a penalty in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea in 2022. He also took a penalty against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, which was saved by Emiliano Martinez.

ESPN pundit Craig Burley thinks he should have stepped up and took responsibility. He said: “I think with the inexperienced players, and they did have quite a few inexperienced players off the bench, Holland, that is, in the game at the end.

He added: “If I’m Ronald Koeman, I think I want my skipper to step up and take the heat and take the pressure on my shoulders and take a penalty kick because centre-halves can take penalties.”

Some football fans have been even more brutal on social media. One fan said: “Embarrassing that captain Van Dijk isn’t stepping up for a penalty. So, so cowardly. Just watched his nation get knocked out.”

A second commented: “Van Dijk, a mentality monster and captain, should’ve stepped up in the penalty shootout,” while a third wrote: “The captain. The leader. Van Dijk watched inexperienced players step up while he hid from taking a penalty for his country. That’s a stain on his legacy that isn’t going away.”

Virgil van Djk Speaks Out After Netherlands’ Exit

REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez

Van Dijk defended his side’s defensive game plan after the match. He told NOS, per vi.nl: “[It’s] Very difficult to analyze it now.

“An intense match. I think we were well organised defensively. They basically couldn’t find the open man between the lines. So the game plan worked, of course. I think we scored a good goal. Ultimately, in injury time, you get pushed back. Then it goes to penalties; unfortunately, we get knocked out.

“If you look at almost all the big teams at the World Cup: they also just drop back and they also wait for the right moment to apply pressure. We trained hard on this for two days; at times it went well. Of course, there are always things that can be improved, but anyway: that doesn’t help us right now.”

Everton are set to sign a Chelsea midfielder, alongside their pursuit of winger Tyrique George, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Toffees have been busy in the summer window so far, particularly this week after agreeing a deal to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

Everton are also working on a deal to sign winger George on a permanent basis, and they are progressing in talks to secure his signature.

The England youth international spent the second half of last season on loan with the Toffees, who had an option to turn this deal permanent.

Everton opted against paying the buy option and instead are looking to negotiate a fee on more favourable terms with less money up front and the remainder in add-ons.

Everton Set to Sign Chelsea Star

According to Italian journalist Romano, Everton are set to sign Chelsea Academy star Arthur Barratt, agreeing a fee for a permanent transfer.

The 16-year-old is believed to have had interest from several Premier League clubs, but Everton have seen him as an important investment as they look to secure young talents.

Barratt is likely a long-term investment for Everton rather than someone who’s going to make an immediate impact.

He could be an academy replacement for young midfielder Demi Akarakiri, who is set to move to Serie A side Cagliari.

Exciting Week for Everton

It’s looking like it’s turning out to be an exciting week for Everton fans after a quiet start to the summer transfer window. The reports claim that both Hackney and George could be signed before the end of the week, getting them through the door ahead of pre-season.

The signing of young midfielder Barratt from Chelsea might not excite fans initially, as they are unlikely to see him in action for the senior squad in the near future.

Despite that, it’s a huge positive that Everton are looking to improve their academy alongside their senior squad, planning for the future and not just the present.

The greatest tennis player of all time, much like the conversation for other sports too, is a hotly-contested debate. What perhaps makes coming up with a definitive number one for tennis much harder than others, though, is the fact there is a distinct separation between male and female players.

Whether it’s the likes of Bjorn Borg or Novak Djokovic dominating the men’s game, or Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams leading the way for a number of years on the women’s side, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a unanimous number one greatest player of all time.

For the modern tennis fan, the achievements and style of play of the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal understandably captured the imagination of a generation, while those lucky enough to be around in the 1980s and 1990s could witness greatness in the likes of Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf, for example.

Now that Wimbledon is underway, and having already delivered our separate rankings for the greatest male and female tennis players, we asked ChatGPT to rank the 15 greatest tennis players overall, and, unsurprisingly, it threw up a pretty intriguing list.

Ranking Factors

• Grand Slam success
• Overall titles and records
• Longevity and consistency
• Surface versatility
• Impact and legacy
• Head-to-head and era strength

10

Pete Sampras

Serial winner Pete Sampras, maybe somewhat harshly, comes in at 10th on AI’s list of greatest tennis players of all time.

Sampras was widely considered the greatest player of all time when he retired in 2002, having won almost everything on offer during his 15-year professional career. The one thing holding him back was his inability to win on clay courts, with his 14 Grand Slams missing that all-important French Open title.

Despite that, he is still remembered as an incredible athlete that ignited the excitement for tennis in the 1990s. His battles against Andre Agassi will never be forgotten by tennis fans.

9

Rod Laver

Australian-born Rod Laver comes next on the AI list, with his achievements throughout the 1960s and ’70s putting him up there as one of the most decorated male players in the history of the game.

Laver boasts 200 career titles, including 11 Grand Slams across all four major tournaments. He sits at the top of the list when it comes to career titles won and has the unique experience of winning Grand Slams in both the amateur and Open eras.

It is hard to compare players going back this far, but many would argue that if Laver was to have played in a more modern time, we would’ve seen similar levels of victory and domination.

8

Chris Evert

Ranked as the world number one for 260 weeks – the fourth-most of all time – Christine Evert won 18 majors, including a record seven French Opens and a joint-record of six US Opens.

Evert would dominate women’s tennis during the 1970s and 1980s, and her rivalry with Martina Navratilova was one of the most fascinating the game has ever seen. Indeed, Evert’s win percentage of 89.9% actually ranks as the second-highest for women or men in the entire Open Era.

7

Margaret Court

Margaret Court’s 64 major titles – which include wins as a single, double, and mixed double – are the most of anyone in tennis history, so she rightfully takes her place on this list of all-time tennis greats.

Indeed, her success across all three disciplines makes her one of just three players in history to win the ‘Boxed Set’, which is essentially consisting of every major for singles, doubles, and mixed.

6

Martina Navratilova

A world number one for 332 weeks, Martina Navratilova won an incredible 167 top-level singles titles, as well as winning another 177 titles as part of the doubles.

Her nine victories at Wimbledon are a record, while she also holds the record of the longest all-surface winning streak of 74 straight games. Indeed, Navratilova’s record-breaking doesn’t stop there either, leading the way for the highest win percentage in a single season in 1983, when she won 98.9% of her games (going 86-1).

5

Rafael Nadal

Nobody will ever quite have the run that Rafael Nadal had at the French Open, where he won a quite incredible 14 titles.

His dominance on clay is of course well-known, but Nadal was just as prolific and successful on other surfaces too, winning another eight majors along the way. Nadal is also one of just a select few to achieve a ‘Golden Slam’, which is winning all four majors and then the Olympic gold medal too.

Maybe only just making the top five is a tad harsh on the Spaniard, but when you take into consideration male and female tennis players, there’s plenty of competition for the top spots.

4

Roger Federer

Just falling short of the podium is none other than Roger Federer, a man who plenty of tennis fans deem the GOAT of the sport. Well, AI doesn’t, as ChatGPT has the Swiss maestro sitting in fourth.

Holding the number one spot for a record 237 consecutive weeks, Federer’s consistency at his peak was something to behold. He would win 20 majors across his career, including a record eight Wimbledons, winning his first at the tournament aged just 21 in 2003.

The Swiss was so dominant during the mid-to-late 2000s, that he appeared in 20 out of the 24 major finals between 2004 and 2007.

3

Steffi Graf

Steffi Graf holds the distinction of being the only tennis player – either male or female – to win every major at least four times.

A teenage wonderkid, the German became the youngest-ever player to appear in the main draw of a major when she did so at the French Open in 1983, aged just 13.

Named the greatest women’s tennis player of all time by Billie Jean King, Graf’s versatility is virtually unmatched.

2

Serena Williams

ChatGPT’s answer for the greatest female player of all time, but narrowly missing out on top spot overall, is Serena Williams.

Williams’ 23 majors are the most of anyone in the Open Era, while she is the only player in history to achieve a career Golden Slam (all four majors and Olympic gold) in both singles and doubles.

Her longevity at the top of the game saw her win her first title in 1999 at the US Open, before winning her last almost 18 years later when she lifted the Australian Open in 2017 – that victory saw her surpass Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of majors won.

1

Novak Djokovic

And now onto number one for the greatest tennis player in history overall, Novak Djokovic’s place at the top of this list is a testament to his incredible longevity and ability to compete in an era that has included some all-time greats like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray, among others.

Djokovic has won a remarkable 24 majors over his career, and is the only man in tennis history to be the reigning champion of all four majors at once on three different surfaces. And, with his career not yet done, you wouldn’t put it past him from achieving more and adding yet more to his legacy.

What ChatGPT said: Djokovic tops the list thanks to his unmatched all-around dominance. He holds the men’s record for most Grand Slam singles titles (24) and is the only player, male or female, to win each Slam at least three times. His Masters 1000 record is unparalleled (40+ titles), showcasing consistency at every major event.