Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong has voiced his dissatisfaction with the national team's level of play following an international friendly against Uzbekistan, as reported by Dutch media outlet ajax1.
nl on June 9, 2026.
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Despite the subpar performance, De Jong clarified that he remains unconcerned about the squad's upcoming World Cup campaign, though he acknowledged the need to elevate their competitive standard.
The preparation match allowed the Dutch squad to gain tactical insights and build chemistry on the pitch ahead of the tournament, according to the midfielder.
"We learned more.
But of course this is not the level we want to show at the World Cup, but it helps," said De Jong.
De Jong further explained that the current training phase focuses primarily on establishing automatic movements and synchronization among the players before the international tournament begins.
"You have to create automatisms, so we are getting closer to the World Cup. It is frustrating sometimes, but I don't despair.
You know it will get better and we will work on it.
We need to adjust a few things, then I think it will look better immediately," stated De Jong.
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During the fixture, the Netherlands utilized the opportunity to practice against an opponent deploying five defenders, simulating the tactical system used by their upcoming World Cup group stage opponent, Japan.
