Verbruggen: The World Cup is where I want to be

The Netherlands have been World Cup finalists three times but never won it. Albion's goalkeeper believes the 2026 squad have the talent to go all the way.

Bruce Talbot

2026-06-05T06:00+01:00

Bart Verbruggen believes the Netherlands have a great chance of going deep in the World Cup. 📷James Boardman.

For Albion’s Bart Verbruggen, the dream of lifting football's most coveted prize is rooted in a childhood memory of disappointment.

But as Bart and Albion teammates Jan Paul van Hecke and Mats Wieffer embark on their 2026 World Cup campaign, they carry both the weight of Dutch footballing heritage and an unshakable confidence in their teammates..

De Oranje has been synonymous with breathtaking talent and tactical innovation, but the Netherlands holds a famously agonising World Cup record. They have reached the final three times - in 1974, 1978, and 2010 - only to fall short at the final hurdle. For a young Verbruggen, that 2010 defeat to Spain left a lasting impression.

"I was eight years old, heartbroken because we lost in the final, but I was proud of the team and I hope that’s something we can do this year," he recalled.

"To be fair I don’t remember every bit of the game!" he admitted. "All I remember is Arjen Robben’s chance against Iker Casillas and then the goal they scored. But then again, I felt so proud of the team - they beat Brazil and how they got through the World Cup was amazing. At the time you’re disappointed and upset, but when you look back you realise it’s not something that’s so easy to do. We should be proud of them for sure."

Oranje, #FIFAWorldCup 2026. 🦁🇳🇱#NothingLikeOranje pic.twitter.com/pWNYchiGkG
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 3, 2026

While Bart is "too young" to remember the iconic 1970s teams, the nation's footballing legacy is always there. "You hear the stories, you see the videos, my dad used to talk about it. So it’s definitely something that is ingrained in the Dutch heritage. It’s very big, Dutch football, which is quite a compliment to us because we’re quite a small country. But we just tend to have very good footballers and teams. It’s a privilege to be able to represent your country in the World Cup."

This summer, the Netherlands will navigate a tricky Group F schedule in North America, against Japan (June 14), Yasin Ayari’s Sweden (June 20), and Tunisia (June 26). To progress, they will rely heavily on a defensive unit that Verbruggen believes is second to none and helpfully includes one of his Albion teammates.

"It makes my life a lot easier, that’s for sure!" he joked. "It’s a big privilege to play with a defensive line who I think is up there with the best in the world. You can feel it, you build relationships together and you work better together every time you play together. I couldn’t be more confident about our defensive set-up than I am now."

This cohesion is amplified by his deep understanding with familiar teammates such as Jan Paul van Hecke.

"For me, JP and I have played together for so long, I already know what he’s going to do before he’s done it and vice-versa," he explained. "I have a great relationship with him through playing together for Brighton but also with all the defenders who play for the Netherlands. I don’t just say that to sound good in an interview. I feel like I know what they want and what I want, and we want to help each other be the best we can. Hopefully you’ll see that in the World Cup."

Stepping into the goalkeeper's jersey means following in the footsteps of giants like Edwin van der Sar, a player Verbruggen deeply admired.

"You’re a little kid, you’re Dutch, Edwin van der Sar was the best goalkeeper in the world at the time, it might be a bit biased, but he was in my opinion," he said. "I watched Edwin van der Sar and wanted to be like him, but I wanted to do it my way... When you’re a kid you look at it and think ‘can I get to that level?’ let’s see, let’s try."

Club and country: Bart Verbruggen and Jan Paul van Hecke. 📷Paul Hazlewood

Getting to that level and becoming the first choice has been a demanding process.

"In the youth you have to battle, your whole career is one battle – good moments, bad moments, positive and negative emotions. To overcome that and to continue to improve to a point where you get to play for the Netherlands in the World Cup is something you can be proud of – and something I am proud of – but I am not satisfied with that because you always want to win stuff and get to the next level. That’s the exciting thing and, to come back to the question, I am very happy about it and very proud. I don’t take it for granted."

As for the tournament ahead, Verbruggen is leaning fully into the pressure and the promise of what the Dutch squad can achieve.

"That’s where you want to be as a competitor, you want to play on the biggest stages and beat the best teams,” he added. “You want to lift the biggest trophies and there’s no bigger trophy than the World Cup. We get a chance to do that and the only thing that we are is very excited – we can’t wait."

With the world watching, Verbruggen insists the team’s self-belief is resolute.

"That’s the beauty of the game, everybody thinks it’s their time!" he said. "Everybody goes head-to-head, gives it all they’ve got and in the end we will see. Every team that has quality will be confident and should be confident. When you [English media] guys say you think it’s your time, I say ‘I think it’s our time!’ Let’s see what the future holds. All I can say is I am very excited and I am very confident in my team and the quality we have in our team."