‘Worst game I’ve ever seen from him!’ – Rafael van der Vaart tears into ‘invisible’ Frenkie de Jong after Netherlands’ shock World Cup exit

Rafael van der Vaart has delivered a scathing assessment of Frenkie de Jong after the Netherlands crashed out of the 2026 World Cup against Morocco, branding the Barcelona midfielder’s display the worst he has ever witnessed from the Dutch star.

Van der Vaart questions Koeman’s tactical gamble

The Netherlands were knocked out in dramatic fashion after surrendering a second-half lead in Monterrey. Ronald Koeman abandoned the more balanced system that had helped Oranje progress from the group stage, opting instead for a five-man defence by replacing Tijjani Reijnders with Nathan Ake.

Cody Gakpo looked to have sealed victory with a 71st-minute opener, but Issa Diop struck deep into stoppage time to force extra time before Morocco eventually prevailed 3-2 in the penalty shootout.

Following the defeat, Van der Vaart questioned why Koeman abandoned a tactical setup that had been producing positive results.

‘The worst game I’ve ever seen from him’

Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS, the former Netherlands and Real Madrid midfielder did not hide his disappointment with De Jong’s performance, although he suggested the tactical system played a major role in the Barcelona star’s struggles.

“You get through a difficult group stage reasonably well. Then things start clicking a bit. What goes on in your head that makes you change everything against Morocco? I don’t understand it one bit,” Van der Vaart said.

“Frenkie played the absolute worst game I’ve ever seen from him today. Truly disappointing. But is that because of the system?”

Midfield imbalance left De Jong isolated

Van der Vaart argued that Koeman’s decision to leave De Jong in a two-man midfield against one of Morocco’s strongest areas proved costly.

He believes the Barcelona playmaker was deprived of possession for long spells, preventing him from influencing the contest before eventually being replaced by Marten de Roon in the 110th minute.

“I think Morocco’s midfield is their strongest asset. And then you decide to play against them with just two men? I didn’t study to be a manager, but that seems a bit clumsy to me,” Van der Vaart added.

“Frenkie is only effective when you have the ball, but we didn’t have the ball at all today, so Frenkie was completely invisible. And he is supposed to be our main man.

“Plus, Cody Gakpo scored the goal, but of course, he was barely involved either.”

Painful end to the Netherlands’ campaign

The defeat brings an abrupt end to the Netherlands’ World Cup journey after an encouraging group-stage campaign.

While De Jong has attracted criticism for his anonymous display, the tactical decisions made by Koeman are also likely to come under intense scrutiny as the Dutch reflect on a frustrating exit that saw a promising position slip away in heartbreaking fashion.