Dutch national team defender Virgil Van Dijk has received praise from his country's football legend Frank de Boer for breaking de Boer's record as captain with the most national team appearances.
"Virgil, congratulations on breaking my record as the player with the most appearances as captain for the Dutch national team," said Frank de Boer, as quoted on Liverpool FC's official website on Wednesday.
Van Dijk officially captained the Dutch national team for the 72nd time after playing in the final Group G match of the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers against Lithuania at the Amsterdam Arena Stadium.
In that match, captain Van Dijk led his squad to defeat Lithuania 4-0 and qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
This appearance record surpasses Frank de Boer's record of 71 caps for the Dutch national team.
De Boer, a Dutch national team player from 1990 to 2004, said that Van Dijk's achievements were possible because of his leadership on the field.