Does Indonesia regret giving up the Netherlands team?

Verdonk is highly rated as a left-back.

After Indonesia's 0-1 loss to Iraq, the Dutch media expressed regret for Verdonk, the left-back who chose to give up his dream of playing for the "Oranje" to return to Southeast Asia to play. Among the naturalized stars of Indonesia in the past two years, Verdonk is the player with the most impressive progress.

Few people could have imagined that, in just two seasons, Verdonk would progress from a decent defender in Nijmegen to play for Lille in Ligue 1. Born in 1997 in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, Verdonk grew up in the prestigious Feyenoord training academy. With the ability to play flexibly at left-back or center-back, he quickly made a name for himself through loan contracts at NEC Nijmegen and then Casa Pia in Portugal.

With nearly 200 professional games under his belt before the age of 27, Verdonk has shown remarkable consistency – from his precise tackles to his incisive left-footed passes. In 2025, he made history by joining LOSC Lille, becoming the first Indonesian player to play in Ligue 1 – Europe’s top league.

Voetball believes that coach Koeman has been watching Verdonk for a long time, and is ready to call this defender up to the national team. However, in April 2024, he made a life-changing decision: giving up his Dutch citizenship to become an Indonesian citizen. With his brilliant form in recent times, the chance of him being called up to the "Oranje" team - which is looking for new elements in the defender or left-sided center-back position - is not far-fetched.

Verdonk has been on a meteoric rise over the past two years.

But Verdonk chose to wear the "Garuda" shirt. With the Netherlands team getting closer to the 2026 World Cup ticket, while Indonesia was eliminated, Verdonk has the right to regret. Because, with the current progress in the Lille shirt in Ligue 1 and Europa League, the opportunity for him to join the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup is very possible.

At the age of 27, Verdonk has almost no chance of attending the World Cup, because by the time the tournament takes place in 2030, this defender will be 32 years old. The possibility of him and Indonesia attending the biggest football festival on the planet at that time is very low. If Verdonk chooses to wait for the Netherlands and coach Koeman, he may be able to attend the 2026 World Cup if he plays well for Lille this season.

Source: https://znews.vn/sao-indonesia-co-hoi-tiec-vi-tu-bo-tuyen-ha-lan-post1593481.html