Manchester United star Matthijs de Ligt worked his way back into the Netherlands starting line-up for their final 2026 World Cup qualifier.
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman snubbed Matthijs de Ligt in the last October international break, despite his incredible run of form with Manchester United.
Matthijs de Ligt is hitting his prime at United this season and finally Koeman reversed his decision and called up the 26-year-old defender. He was one of 20 United players called up for international duty in November.
Are you excited for World Cup 2026 in the USA?
He was an unused substitute earlier in the week when the Netherlands drew 1-1 with Poland, but Matthijs de Ligt finally made his return to the starting line-up against Lithuania on Monday evening.
Matthijs de Ligt impresses for the Netherlands
The Netherlands headed into the Lithuania match needing a single point to secure their qualification to the 2026 World Cup.
De Ligt started in an all-Premier League back four, with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk as his centre-back pairing.
The United star helped his nation keep a clean sheet and secure a dominant 4-0 win over Lithuania. Via SofaScore, he was given a 7.6 rating for his performance at the back.
| Matthijs de Ligt vs Lithuania | Match stats |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Touches | 91 |
| Passes completed | 87% (69/79) |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Clearances | 2 |
| Ball recoveries | 9 |
| Ground duels won | 50% (1/2) |
| Aerial duels won | 100% (6/6) |
De Ligt boasted a 100% success rate for aerial duels, and he recovered the ball nine times. Going forward, he won the penalty which was converted by Cody Gakpo in the second half.
Importantly, De Ligt avoided injury, meaning he will be available and full of confidence for United’s Premier League return against Everton.
Matthijs de Ligt is earning a World Cup spot
The Netherlands have now booked their spot in the World Cup next summer and De Ligt finally got an opportunity to impress Koeman on the international stage.
It has become clear this season that De Ligt is United’s best defender, and if he continues on his current run of form, then Koeman will have no choice but to include him in the Netherlands squad next summer.
There is fierce competition for defensive positions in the Dutch team, with Van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Jurrien Timber and Nathan Ake all competing for starting spots.
READ MORE: Matthijs de Ligt makes exciting claim about his performances for Manchester United
At the moment, De Ligt is one of the first names on Amorim’s team sheet at United, and he is the only player to have played every minute of the Premier League campaign this season.
All he has to do is stay fit and consistent and he should have a big role to play in the upcoming World Cup.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
