EXCLUSIVE: De Boer admits Netherlands could struggle at World Cup without class striker

[p][i][b]Flashscore[/b][/i] spoke with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-boer-frank/xhK0v911/"]Frank de Boer[/a] in Marbella at a padel tournament for former footballers.[/p][p][b]You retired years ago, but you never left sports, now playing a lot of padel, and your family is full of footballers, even a referee (one of your sons-in-law, Joey Kooij, is one). Do you still follow football passionately?[/b][/p][p]"Yes, I follow it a lot, especially now with the World Cup, which is a tournament everyone wants to watch."[/p][p][b]I imagine you're eager to see what the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] can do. How do you see your national team?[/b][/p][p]"We have a good team, but we are not one of the favourites. I think we could reach the quarter-finals. I know that other countries don't want to face us because we're a team that can play fantastic football at times, but I think we're a bit inconsistent.[/p][p]"And in a tournament like this, you can't have a bad day. Maybe in the group stage you can, but usually, after that, you can't. And to play three or four really good matches... I haven't seen that much in recent years with the national team."[/p][image alt="The Netherlands' recent results" id="40320f4c-2f17-4a17-989f-6ef9a1cc0c0a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="43bf9765-0ddf-48dd-be89-bbc145d1d0f9" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][b]What do you think is missing, maybe a star like before, a striker like Marco van Basten who would score everything?[/b][/p][p]"Well, I think so. We're missing a striker that other countries have, but for example, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a] usually doesn't have a striker either. A striker like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Harry Kane[/a] or someone like that, we don't have in Holland. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/depay-memphis/zo1h8MrD/"]Memphis Depay[/a] is a good player, but he's not an 'out-and-out striker'.[/p][p]"He always looks for his space. Other players can use that space, but I think our forwards have quality, just not the finishing quality of players like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raphinha/xtBsDPam/"]Raphinha[/a], all these players, or like Kane.[/p][p]"But we are a team, and I always say it's important to play as a team. Teams win titles; players win matches. I'm sure we'll be a team, and that's always very important."[/p][p][b]So we can say that this Netherlands side is very different from the one we've always seen, cheerful, entertaining, attacking...[/b][/p][p]"We have entertaining players like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-jong-frenkie/A1F3rz9c/"]Frenkie de Jong[/a] and midfielders who play well, but I think we don't have stars up front. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a] is a star as a defender. I think the defence is very solid: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-jurrien/hSaoLOM4/"]Jurrien Timber[/a] is doing very well, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dumfries-denzel/QR0j1ejk/"]Denzel Dumfries[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-de-ven-micky/rotN6HH8/"]Micky van de Ven[/a] are players at a high level. The goalkeeper is good, in front are De Jong, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reijnders-tijani/f17EnPl3/"]Tijani Reijnders[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gravenberch-ryan/Y5aFd8V4/"]Ryan Gravenberch[/a]... But up front is where I have my concern."[/p][video alt="World Cup 2026: Virgil van Dijk" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="a3417673-b10d-4174-aa9c-21186d17b04d" id="54bb2962-278a-4e5e-9069-6dfb719e71d9" /][p][b]And what about the other rivals?[/b][/p][p]"I think [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a], Spain, Portugal, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/argentina/f9OppQjp/"]Argentina[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] are also, for me, the most dangerous countries. And maybe [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a], who have a good team now."[/p][p][b]That's what I was going to say, there are African teams that seem to be progressing well, like the one you mentioned, Morocco.[/b]  [/p][p]"Yes, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]Senegal[/a] too. They have good quality and have shown they can beat big countries. We're going to see some teams that aren't the usual ones."[/p][h2]Spain's 'Lamine dependence'[/h2][p][b]How do you see Spain?[/b][/p][p]"I think it depends on how [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Lamine Yamal[/a] does. They don't have a striker, just like us. They play the typical Spanish football, and it's true that for every country, playing against them is very difficult. But I don't think they are big favourites for me right now. And it also depends on Lamine Yamal, whether he can play or not, because he's a player who can make the difference."[/p][image alt="Lamine Yamal in action for Spain" id="504d156d-cdd3-4f38-bec6-fed5b15e17d3" credit-line="Reuters / Heiko Becker" guid="c837b3c1-2394-484c-98ad-00767cbf651e" original-width="4313" original-height="3140" /][p][b]Do you think there's so much dependence that if Lamine is in good form, Spain raise their level, and drop it when he's not?[/b][/p][p]"Yes, that's right. We talked earlier about stars in the Netherlands, that we're missing them. He is a star. But he has to be in good form to be able to create something. That's quality."[/p][p][b]Speaking of Lamine and his quality[/b],[b] I suppose as a former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] player, you've watched and followed Barca's season. What did you think?[/b][/p][p]"Yes, I've watched them and (they are) very good. They've played in a very entertaining way, also with Lamine and Raphinha. Well, with Raphinha not as much as last year, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pedri/baBG8QuI/"]Pedri[/a] is in incredible form for me. He's one of the best players in the world and plays very well. I love how [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olmo-dani/2oVBOlPg/"]Dani Olmo[/a] is developing now, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gavi/xrV9v8CU/"]Gavi[/a] is back. I've really enjoyed watching Barca."[/p][h2]How to win the Champions League[/h2][p][b]Do you agree with those who say that to win the Champions League, you can't play as offensively as with Hansi Flick?[/b][/p][p]"I don't know, it depends. When everything is at 100%, it can work. But when someone fails in that system, it's very dangerous.[/p][p]"Everyone has to be very focused, at 100%. If not, it's very difficult to play so high up the pitch. But people also want to see attractive football. I think that's the most important thing.[/p][p]"Because I've seen many 0-0 matches that nobody wants to watch. I think when there's a stadium of almost 100,000 (spectators), they're there to enjoy football. And with Barcelona, you usually go to enjoy yourself."[/p][image alt="Frank de Boer" id="c73e857f-680e-4647-b81f-a39ae00b8b30" credit-line="ČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Artur Stabulnieks" guid="44ed08bf-c9b6-44a5-a790-74476d628498" original-width="1400" original-height="1051" /][p][b]Since you mention enjoying football, in the Champions League final, we saw a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]PSG[/a] that tried to play with the ball and an [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] that seemed to just defend. I suppose that final is the example of what you're saying...[/b][/p][p]"Yes. On the wings, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvaratskhelia-khvicha/bNuGt0hE/"]Kvicha Kvaratskhelia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doue-desire/KIUWH2Jq/"]Desire Doue[/a] are usually the players who can make the difference with a dribble, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saka-bukayo/08NLEo06/"]Bukayo Saka[/a] was always helping on the other side. Also, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/trossard-leandro/xUAbnjp2/"]Leandro Trossard[/a] on the other wing. It was very difficult to create anything, and that's why the match was like that.[/p][p]"And the first goal (by Arsenal) didn't help much either because they could drop back and wait. The semi-finals were fantastic, but I was a bit disappointed by the final. I think in the end the best team won."[/p][p][b]Well, we'll see who wins the World Cup. Would you like a Spain-Netherlands final?[/b][/p][p]"Yes, for sure. A rematch would be very nice."[/p]