Virgil van Dijk showed class with Wataru Endo gesture as Liverpool stars denied World Cup meeting

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Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesLiverpool FCVirgil van Dijk will not face his Liverpool teammate Wataru Endo at the 2026 World Cup after the Japan midfielder was forced to withdraw from the squad due to a broken footVirgil van Dijk will lead the Dutch at the World Cup(Image: Dean Mouhtaropoulos, Getty Images)Virgil van Dijk showcased his considerate character by passing the captain's armband to Wataru Endo during Liverpool's Japanese tour last year. Yet, the centre-back has been denied the opportunity to face his club colleague at this summer's World Cup.Endo has been compelled to pull out of the Japan squad following a fractured foot and has subsequently announced his retirement from international football.

From here on, I'll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans."The Netherlands, led by Van Dijk, meet Japan in both countries' opening World Cup encounter this weekend. Marinos and secured a 3-1 win.Among the most memorable scenes from the fixture was Endo taking to the field as Van Dijk's replacement in the second period and receiving the captain's armband.The midfielder revealed he had previously attended a trial with Yokohama as a youngster but failed to secure a deal, making it an emotional homecoming as he skippered his Liverpool team to victory.The 33-year-old said at the time: "I supported this club actually, and I went to [a] trial, but I couldn't join this club.

However, he was substituted due to persistent pain and has subsequently been replaced by Borussia Mönchengladbach's Shuto Machino.Liverpool confirmed Endo's withdrawal with the following statement: "Wataru Endo has withdrawn from Japan's World Cup squad due to injury, and announced his retirement from international football. Keep your head up, Wata."Endo has accumulated 73 caps for Japan since making his international debut in 2015 and caught Liverpool's eye at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.