Virgil van Dijk showed true colours with gesture to Liverpool team-mate out of World Cup

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SportFootballWorld Cup 2026Wataru Endo has been forced to withdraw from Japan's World Cup squad due to a broken footVirgil van Dijk demonstrated his thoughtful nature by handing the captain's armband to Wataru Endo during Liverpool's tour of Japan last year. However, the defender has been robbed of the chance to go head-to-head with his club team-mate at this summer's World Cup.Endo has been forced to withdraw from the Japan squad due to a broken foot and has now called time on his international career.

From here on, I'll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans."The Netherlands, captained by Van Dijk, face Japan in both nations' opening World Cup fixture this weekend. One of the standout moments from the match was Endo entering the pitch to replace Van Dijk in the second half and being handed the captain's armband.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!The midfielder disclosed he had undergone a trial with Yokohama as a teenager but didn't sign, creating a poignant full-circle moment as he captained his Liverpool side to triumph.

It was a dream-come-true moment."On Van Dijk's thoughtful act, Endo added: "I think it was a great gesture. However, he was withdrawn due to continued pain and has now been replaced by Borussia Monchengladbach's Shuto Machino.Liverpool confirmed Endo's withdrawal as they said: "Wataru Endo has withdrawn from Japan's World Cup squad due to injury, and announced his retirement from international football.