Ryan Gravenberch

Ryan Gravenberch is a confirmed midfielder in Netherlands' 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. The Liverpool defensive midfielder is 24 at kick-off and brings 25 senior Netherlands caps and one international goal into the tournament. He arrives in form: his first season under Arne Slot at Liverpool brought a league-title campaign and a Young Player of the Season award after the deep-lying conversion.

Netherlands face Japan, Sweden and Tunisia in Group F, opening against Japan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on 14 June. The Oranje qualified by winning UEFA Group G on 17 November 2025, finishing unbeaten on 20 points and three points clear of Poland in second, with a 4-0 win over Lithuania sealing the spot.

Gravenberch is a 1.90 m central defensive midfielder. Under Arne Slot's 4-2-3-1 at Liverpool from 2024-25, the deep-lying role has become his current shape, including a dominant midfield showing in the 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Before that conversion, his minutes at Ajax and Bayern Munich came in a more box-to-box mould — a range Koeman can call on inside an adjustable Oranje system.

The £24m Netherlands Tier 2 pick within the game's £200m card budget puts Slot's deep-lying midfielder into Group F. Gravenberch sits in that holding seat for the Oranje, with his Liverpool title-season under Slot and the Young Player of the Season award fresh behind him. Group F opens against Japan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on 14 June, with Sweden and Tunisia next on the matchday lane later in the group stage.