Several FC Bayern players will be involved with their national teams at the 2022 World Cup. In club magazine ‘51’, our boys reveal who we should look out for from their sides, how they rate their chances and who their favourites are. Part six: Matthijs de Ligt for the Netherlands.
Interview with Matthijs de Ligt
How do you see your chances?
De Ligt: "I think we have a good team with many young players, who can grow through an event such as this. For some of the boys it's their first World Cup. If we start the tournament well and gather momentum, then we can go far."
On the way to a first World Cup crown? Matthijs de Ligt, together with Oranje coach Louis van Gaal, wants to win the first World Cup for their country. Illustration: Davide Barco
What’s special about your team?
"There have been Dutch teams in the past who perhaps were individually better, but I think we're a special unit. Most of the boys have known each other for many, many years, we're really like a group of friends - and that can be an advantage for us in a long tournament. It's important you treat each other professionally and can talk about things if something's not going well, but that friendly relationship is something very important in our team."
Which player from your team should fans particularly watch out for?
"The big names in our team are no secrets. Every football fan in Europe knows players like Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay. It's much more important to me that we perform together as a team, and every individual has to contribute to that."
Who are the favourites for you and why?
"There are lots of countries who can be hopeful. Brazil and Argentina in particular look very strong at the moment. From Europe, England, Belgium, France, Spain, Germany and Portugal are all in a tight circle. The favourites will become apparent as the tournament progresses."
Matthijs de Ligt is one of 16 Bayern internationals who'll be fighting it out for the title in Qatar:
Catch up on part 5 of the series here:
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