For this clash, which already features confirmed referees, Memphis Depay is not part of the starting lineup. The reality is that Memphis sits on the bench due to a purely tactical choice. For this high-stakes duel between the Netherlands and Morocco, the manager opted for other offensive players in the attacking zone, leaving the forward among the substitutes.

In the 2-2 draw against Japan, the star played just 20 minutes after coming on for Donyell Malen by decision of the European coaching staff. Just a few days later, Ronald Koeman sent him back to the bench in a 5-1 thrashing of Sweden, where he logged only 18 minutes after replacing Brobbey in the second half.

The goalscorer replacing Depay

Despite playing in one of the most balanced groups of the opening round alongside Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia, the Netherlands, who are just one spot behind Morocco in the FIFA ranking, have stood out for their defensive approach and offensive firepower. They enter the knockout round following a high-scoring group stage—all achieved without a single goal from Depay, their all-time leading scorer.

However, Ronald Koeman has found a reliable goalscorer in the previously unheralded Brobbey. The Sunderland attacker did not start the opening match against Japan, but he netted a brace against Sweden in his first start of the tournament and followed it up with another goal against Tunisia.

Brobbey’s skillset

Brobbey plays more like a traditional English target man than a classic Dutch No. 9. He lacks the genius of Cruyff or Bergkamp, the class of Van Basten or Kluivert, and has yet to prove he is as clinical as Van Nistelrooy or Van Persie.

Yet, the squad possesses a true force of nature in Brobbey, whose powerful physique makes him highly effective at playing with his back to goal or overpowering defenders through sheer effort. He scored eight goals for Sunderland last season, helping the modest northern English club secure a seventh-place finish and a spot in the upcoming Europa League, and now is expected to score against Morocco.

For the Oranje, winning, drawing, or losing will carry very different implications, as they start with an attacking trio of Donyell Malen, Cody Gakpo, and Brian Brobbey, a highly intriguing offensive setup.

Depay, who came on in the second half of the 2-2 draw against Japan, will once again wait for his opportunity from the bench. If needed, the Netherlands will turn to all their attacking options as the match progresses.

Depay’s numbers for the Netherlands

Memphis Depay made his official debut for the Netherlands national team on October 15, 2013, entering as a late substitute in a 2–0 World Cup qualifying victory against Turkiye. Since then, the dynamic forward has established himself as a legendary figure for the Oranje, accumulating 110 international appearances.

Over his international career, Memphis has scored an impressive 55 goals, officially surpassing Robin van Persie to become the all-time top goalscorer in the history of the Netherlands men’s national team.

What’s next for the Netherlands?

For the final matchday of Group F at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Netherlands will face Tunisia on June 25, 2026. This decisive group stage encounter will take place at the Kansas City Stadium (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium) in Kansas City, Missouri, where Ronald Koeman‘s squad will look to secure its ticket to the knockout rounds.

Coach Ronald Koeman has opted to bench Depay in favor of an attacking trio composed by Cody Gakpo, Donyell Malen, and Crysencio Summerville.

This will force the 32-year-old to wait for an opportunity to come off the bench later in the game. Follow our live blog of Netherlands vs. Japan for minute-by-minute updates to see if Depay enters the game!

Depay’s activity with Netherlands prior to 2026 World Cup

Even though we’re talking about one of the faces of the Netherlands national team, Depay hasn’t seen much international action in 2026. A hamstring injury ruled him out of the March friendlies, and he played only 45′ minutes in the pre-World Cup window.

Depay came off the bench for the second half of the Netherlands’ 1-0 loss to Algeria and was an unused substitute during the 2-1 win over Uzbekistan before the 2026 World Cup debut against Japan.

Depay’s international stats and World Cup history

Still, we’re talking about an icon for the Dutch side. Depay arrives at the 2026 World Cup with 109 international caps under his belt, boasting 55 goals and 36 assists for the Netherlands.

This will be Depay’s third World Cup participation, having already represented his country in 2014 and 2022. In 2018, he watched the tournament from home as Netherlands failed to qualify for the competition.

With three goals and one assist in nine World Cup games, Depay hopes to improve his stats in 2026, even if he’s not starting in the debut against Japan.

The French soccer player was also cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January. His last game was against Tottenham on August 2021, before being arrested and later suspended by the Premier League.

Mendy, who was released by City when his contract expired at the end of June, has denied all the charges made against him. Shortly after he was cleared, Depay sent a message of support for the 28-year-old.

Memphis Depay posts tweet supporting Benjamin Mendy

“Benjamin Mendy

All cases dismissed.
So what are we doing now?
Who is going to help this brother heal?
Who’s going to be Responsable for the damage on he’s name?
How he’s going to have he’s career back?
Many years of investment to become a professional football player…. Now what!?
I’ve never touched on this subject because I didn’t know all the details, but I’ve spoken to him once true FaceTime while behind bars and faced him on the pitch a couple times.. I didn’t see any evil in the man.
We can’t accept this to happen to us as athletes..
Who’s going to stand up for us in the time of need not when the damage is already done?
Don’t turn your head people.“

Depay’s tweet gave a lot to talk about on social media, as many encourage athletes to address this situation, but he also faced some backlash.

The former Barcelona manager was leading the national team in the first game in his second stint since replacing Louis van Gaal, who resigned following the Qatar tournament. Nevertheless, things got off to a terrible start for him atthe Stade de France, as the home team scored three goals in the first 21 minutes.

The Dutch dominated possession, 59%,and attempted 195 more passes than their opponents (75), but they were unable to create many scoring chances and had a penalty kick late in the game saved by Mike Maignan. In fact, to make matters worse, at the hands of Les Blues, they suffered their worst loss in 104 years.

What didRonald Koeman say after the France game?

In addition, the Dutchmen’s21-game unbeaten streak, attributed to Louis Van Gaal, came to an end with this defeat, as per Squawka. After the match, Ronald Koeman criticized his Oranjeteam, specifically calling out Memphis Depay‘s error that lead to the French side’s last goal.

“Infootball, you can make mistakes, but just look at the first goal. They were waiting for that. We lost the ball 20 meters from our own goal! After 3-0, it’s usually over, we had no chance. Knowing who you’re playing against as well, you’re then even afraid that it will be a very big result.

“The fourth goal is because of Memphis Depay losing the ball. And then Kylian Mbappeshows his class.We showed very little in this game; it’s not the team I had in mind to put out, but you know the circumstances. But I don’t want to find excuses for this mediocre performance”,he told the media.

This comes after Depay, now playing for Atletico Madrid, publicly criticized his old club, Barcelona, for their handling of the newly appointed manager of the Netherlands national team. Interestingly, because of his friendship with the 60-eyar-odl manager, he was able to relocate to La Liga from Lyon in France.

After Ronald Koeman left FC Barcelona, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang became the best center forward of the team relegating Memphis Depay to the bench. Then, in the summer of 2022, Robert Lewandowski arrived and almost any chance for the Dutch striker was gone. That’s when the search for a new team started.

Now, following his participation with the Netherlands in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Memphis Depay finally found a new clubto continue his career. Read here to find out all the details.

Memphis Depay will signwith Atletico Madrid in La Liga

According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Memphis Depay will sign a new contract with Atletico Madrid valid until June of 2025. The transfer fee will be around $5 million for FC Barcelona.

With 28-years old, this is a major opportunity to revive his career. Memphis Depay will compete with Alvaro Morata for the starting job as center forward in Atletico Madrid. That of course depending on Morata staying at the Spanish club.

Atletico Madrid are currently on a tough fight for the fourth place in La Liga with teams such as Villarreal, Osasuna and Betis. They are trying to avoid another disappointment after finishing last on Group B of the Champions League. The fourth spot is their only chance to play in Europeduring the 2023-2024 season.

In France 1998 it was a different story as Argentina fell to the Netherlands in a final minute goal by then Arsenal star Dennis Bergkamp to lift the Dutch to a quarterfinals victory over Argentina 2-1. In 1978 Argentina would win their first ever World Cup title defeating the Netherlands 3-1 behind two goals by Mario Kempes.

This will mark the sixth time that the Netherlands and Argentina have faced each other at the World Cup and for Barcelona and Netherlands forward Memphis Depay it’s a sort of payback time.

Memphis Depay on playing Argentina

“I really want to get rid of that bittersweet taste (of 2014), I would like to change it with tomorrow’s game”, Depay stated in the press conference. The goal of the Dutch is to “win the game in 90 minutes.”

Depay continued by stating, “I’ve never seen myself in a situation like this, having to take a penalty in a World Cup shootout. Without a doubt, it’s a time of great tension and pressure, but we are professional players, and we have to know how to deal with that situation”, when asked about the semifinal of 2014.

The Oranjemay have struggled in their first two games, but they still enter this match as heavy favorites to advance out of Group A.
With a win, Van Gaal’s playerswill be three points ahead of Qatar, the group’s worst team that has lost once again today, 3-1 to Senegal.

Meanwhile, given their remaining schedule, the CONMEBOL side haveto win to have any chance of finishing first in their group. However, even without Memphis Depay in the starting lineup, the Dutch still pose a threat because of the potency of their offense.

Why is Netherlands’Memphis Depay starting on the bench againstEcuador?

Memphis Depay has had a peculiar 2022-23 campaign. The Dutch forward eventually stayed at Barcelona despite seeing little playing time in the early going of the season; he was in the lineup three times before suffering a thigh injury while on international duty in late September.

Although the original prognosis for his return to action was a month, Memphis did not return to action for Xavi Hernandez’s side before the World Cup break.The Netherlands’ No. 10 did not even start against Senegal because theOranje manager Louis van Gaaldid not believe he was physically ready to return to action after the long injury layoff.

The skilled attacker, though, did not enter the game until the 61st minute of the second half. Depay clearly seemed rusty following his stint on the sidelines, as he was unable to contribute much during his time on the field. Hedid get some good news just before the final whistle when his effort was deflected right to Davy Klaassen, who slotted it in easily for the second goal of the game.

In his post-game press conference, Van Gaal confirmed that the 28-year-old would not be starting against Ecuador and hinted that he would be entering the game in the second half: “He has played 30 minutes and the next step would be 45 minutes. The injury he has makes it so difficult to decide when he can start so we have to look at him.”

“But he is an extraordinary player and so I have set aside my principles because I consider him to be incredibly important to my team. I explained this to the players, that I am doing all this for Memphis, and the players accepted this.”

Louis van Gaal, who led the nation to a third-place finish in Brazil 2014, is once again at the helm of the Dutch team for this exciting tournament. TheNetherlands were drawn into Group A, along with the host nation, Ecuador, and Senegal.

The Oranje make their debut in Qatar against the African champions, who will suffer a notable absence as Sadio Mane was ruled out for the World Cup. But the Netherlands willmiss a key player from the start as well.

Why is Memphis Depay not starting for Netherlands vs. Senegal

Memphis Depay is not starting for theNetherlands against Senegal due to thigh problems. The Barcelona forward has been on the sidelines due to this issue since October, and even though he tried, he wasn’t ready to start.

Depay, however, could still take part in this game as he’s having a place on the bench. If his recovery goes well, hecould be back in the starting eleven for the second matchday against Ecuador.

The Dutch national team, who had failed to qualify for Russia 2018, is heading to Qatar with high aspirations after a remarkable campaign in the qualifiers, in which the Barcelona forward shone. Starting in all 10games for theNetherlands in the European qualifiers group stage, Depay was a key contributor by having a hand in 18 goals (12 goals and six assists).

But before he helped his country return to a World Cup, the 28-year-old had to overcome many obstacles in his life. One of them has to do with the reason why Memphis doesn’t use his last name (Depay) on his back.

The reason Memphis Depay doesn’t want to use his last name on his jersey

If you watched Memphis throughout his career, you may have noticed one particular thing: his jersey never read Depay. Unfortunately, it isn’t because he simply prefers to use his first name.

Many years ago, the Dutch starexplained the reasonhe doesn’t want to wear his last name on his back is because his Ghanaian father abandoned the family when Memphis was only four.

“There is no turning back. He has tried to establish contact with me, but I have no relationship with him nor his family. I don’t want to explain exactly what happened at home because I don’t want to give people grief. I have already turned the page,” Depay told the BBC, as quoted by Goal in Spanish.

Being abandoned by his father was followed by another traumatic experience when hisDutch mother moved with another man, as Memphis received constant beatings by his stepbrothers. A damaged kid, Depay had a hard time to open up about his feelings and eventually was tagged for his misbehaving.

Memphisfound in soccer not only his passion but alsoa way to overcome his problems from the past, making something clear in every team he’s played for: he wants to be Memphis, not Depay.

Will he have a World Cup to remember this year in Qatar?Using this World Cup Predictor, you can see every potential outcome of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Knowing the club’s financial situation was precarious, the winger agreed to take a pay cut from what he would have gotten elsewhere. Despite being plagued by injuries, hestill managed to put up respectable numbers (13 goals in 38games) considering the opportunities he was afforded.

Since he joined, a lot has happened with the Blaugrana, and he is no longer the best option to start at center forward. In contrast, players like Robert Lewandowski and Raphinhahave been promoted, with the former eventually reclaimingthe No. 9 jersey from Memphis.

Memphis Depay’s contract with Barcelona

About a year ago, Memphis Depay brought his dreams and objectives to Barcelona by signing with the club. In spite of the fact that the Netherlands internationalfinished tied for the team’s scoring leader in the 2021-22 La Liga season, he isno longer a regular starter for the Camp Nou outfit.

The deal between Memphis and Barcelona will remain in effect until 2023. Now that the dealis set to expire in the summer, Catalan tabloid Sport reports that Barcaareprepared to grant him a one-year extension, provided that the terms are financially satisfactory.

How much does Memphis Depay make a week?

Memphis Depay’s salary at Barcelona was reduced by 30 percent from what was originally agreed upon as the Liga giants are attempting to reduce expenses in order to operate within a wage limit, Goal revealed last year.

According to Capology, Memphis Depay’s current annual salary is close to €10.4million gross / € 5 million net.Taking this account, the Dutch wingerwould earn about€866,000 permonth or €200,000a week. That would make it nearly€40,000a day,or around€5,000per hour, or€82per minute.