Memphis Depay confirmed on June 1 that he is confident he will be fit for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup despite a thigh injury that kept him out since March 2026 [1, 2]. The 32-year-old forward returned to play for Brazilian club Corinthians in late May, featuring for 29 minutes as a substitute and 45 minutes as a starter since his comeback [1, 2]. Depay said his recovery took longer than expected but insisted the injury was not serious. "I never really doubted that I would make it," he said. "A few things didn't go as they should have, which I don't want to go into now, but I always knew it would work out. The injury wasn't that serious after all." He added that he trained hard, including intense sessions in Brazil, and arrived "fit and without any complaints" [1].
Brazilian media had reported possible mistakes during his rehabilitation in April, but Depay declined to comment on these claims [1, 2]. He has earned 108 caps and scored 55 goals for the Dutch national team and played at the 2014 and 2022 World Cups [1, 2]. Reflecting on past tournaments, he said, "I've played in two World Cups and unfortunately lost on penalties twice (against Argentina in 2014 and 2022). Maybe this time it might go our way instead." He also expressed belief that the Netherlands will be competitive at the tournament but did not consider them top favorites. "We need not pretend we're the best team in the world, but we know we have our strengths... The belief is always there when we go to a major tournament" [2].
The Netherlands are grouped with Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia in the 2026 World Cup first round [1, 2]. Ahead of the tournament, they will play warm-up friendly matches against Algeria in Rotterdam on June 7 and Uzbekistan in New York on June 12 [1, 2].