2022 Men’s World Cup Power Players: Breaking Down Virgil van Dijk's Game

Virgil van Dijk will add "World Cup participant" to his lengthy resume in Qatar.

The 31-year-old center back has won seven different club competitions with English Premier League side Liverpool and two more in Scotland with Celtic.

Van Dijk's experience at the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be with a Netherlands side that finished in third place the last time it appeared on world football's biggest stage.

The Reds defender has been a vital part of the Oranje's resurgence. He and his Dutch teammates hope recent results translate into a successful run in late November and early December.

This article was produced in partnership with Prada Luna Rossa.

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Top Club Highlights

Van Dijk hasn't scored a ton of goals in the Premier League for Liverpool, but when he does show up on highlight reels for hitting the back of the net, it's often a reminder of how dangerous he can be on set pieces.

He scored two goals with his head last season for the Anfield side, and he has nine other headed goals in league play since joining Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018.

Van Dijk has shown up on a few defensive highlight reels as well, including for a perfectly timed tackle against Tottenham Hotspur in 2020.

He typically does not have to make the lunging tackles because he is in great position in front of the Liverpool net. When he is uncomfortable, he can make up for mistakes with his tackling ability.

Van Dijk has been a crucial part of this current Liverpool era that includes both a Premier League and Champions League title.

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Top Netherlands Highlights

Van Dijk's first appearance in Qatar will mark his 50th game on the international stage.

The center back has been a fixture of the Dutch national team setup since 2015, and he has made at least five appearance for the Oranje in every year dating back to 2018.

Five of his six goals have come in some type of international competition. His most recent occurred in September in the UEFA Nations League against Belgium.

Van Dijk has two career goals against Germany, one against Belgium and another versus Portugal. The others came against Gibraltar and Belarus.

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Biggest Strengths

Van Dijk is a three-time honoree in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League teams of the season and won Player of the Year Awards from the Premier League and UEFA for his efforts in the 2018-19 campaign with Liverpool.

It is difficult for any opposing attacker to work their way past the defender over a 90-minute stretch. He is coming into better form with Liverpool as the World Cup approaches. He has been a part of a defense that has conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League in three of the past four seasons.

Van Dijk can take away a team's top attacker with his strong positioning on and off the ball, as well as his precise tackling ability. He is an asset on set pieces on both sides of the field because of his aerial prowess.

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World Cup Outlook

The Netherlands are the most recognizable nation in Group A alongside host Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal.

Van Dijk will take on former Liverpool teammate and Senegal international Sadio Mané in his first Group A match on November 21.

The Dutch are expected to get out of the group and make an attempt at a long run in the knockout round.

They advanced to the semifinal round at least in their last two World Cup appearances in 2010 and 2014, and even though they missed out on the finals in 2018, the high standard to advance that far is still in place.