I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if a team like Japan reached the World Cup semi-finals, or even the final.
After the Netherlands scored their second goal, I was just sitting there waiting for Japan to equalize. I was convinced they would come back at any moment. Even after the clock passed the 85th minute, I still felt they were going to find a way back into the game.
There’s something unusual about this team. When they defend, it feels like all 11 players are defenders. When they attack, it feels like all 11 players are attackers. The same applies in midfield. They’re organized in a way that would terrify any opponent, and the understanding between the players is incredible.
🏴 Scotland fans discovered you can't drink in public in Boston and immediately hired a boat to start getting on the pints at 10am.
No one is having more fun at the World Cup than the Tartan Army 😂
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.”