Rafael van der Vaart on Japan players displaying Wataru Endō's jersey after the 2-2 draw against the Netherlands national football team:
🗣️ “I have played football my entire life, and moments like that remind you why this sport means so much to people. When I saw Endō's shirt hanging on the bench and his teammates holding it after the game, it genuinely touched me.
We spend so much time talking about tactics, formations, and results, but sometimes football gives you something far more powerful. It gives you moments of humanity.
Imagine working your whole career for one final World Cup, only for injury to take it away days before the tournament begins. Then imagine watching your teammates refuse to let the world forget you. That's special.
What struck me most was that Japan didn't do it for cameras or headlines. You could see the emotion on their faces. It came from the heart.
The 89th minute equalizer was incredible, but I honestly think the image of Endō's shirt will be remembered longer than the goal itself. Some moments are bigger than football.
As an opponent, you almost have to respect it. You could see that this team isn't just playing for themselves anymore. They're carrying the dream of a teammate who should have been standing beside them.
That's what makes Japan dangerous in this tournament. Not just their quality, but their unity. They look like a team willing to suffer for each other until the very last second.
And if I'm Endō watching from home tonight, I probably have tears in my eyes. Because no trophy, no medal, and no speech can replace the feeling of knowing your teammates haven't forgotten you.”
Virgil van Dijk on Wataru Endō after Japan’s 2-2 draw with the Netherlands national football team:
🗣️ “I have to say, that moment with Endō’s shirt left on the bench… it was emotional. Even as an opponent, you could feel the weight of it.
To hear he withdrew from the squad due to injury and then announced his retirement on the eve of the World Cup that’s heartbreaking. No player deserves that. Not after all the years of sacrifice and discipline it takes to reach this stage.
When you step out on that pitch and you know a teammate like that should have been there, it changes something in the atmosphere. You feel it in the dressing room, you feel it during the match, and you definitely feel it after the final whistle.
What Japan did tonight by keeping his jersey with them wasn’t just respect—it was love. It showed how much he means to that group, not just as a player but as a leader.
As a footballer, you understand how fragile these moments are. One injury, one twist of fate, and a dream can disappear right before your eyes. That’s the cruel side of this game people don’t always see.
So when I saw that shirt on the bench, I didn’t see a symbol of absence. I saw a reminder of what they’re fighting for.
And honestly, teams that carry that kind of emotion with them… they become very dangerous. Very united. Very hard to break down.
Tonight wasn’t just about a 2-2 draw. It was about a team playing with someone in their hearts who couldn’t be on the pitch with them.”