Justin Kluivert’s late-entry dream: to be the Netherlands’ Götze

In a Monterrey training base this afternoon, Justin Kluivert stood on the edge of the Oranje dugout, watching the clock tick toward kick-off. The 27-year-old attacker has already tasted his first World Cup minutes off the bench against Tunisia, and he wants more. Against Tunisia, Kluivert entered as an 82nd-minute substitute and immediately signalled his intent. “Big games are often decided late,” he told Algemeen Dagblad. “Often by substitutes. That’s what I’m aiming for. That’s what I train for every day. And yes, I picture it.” His path to Qatar nearly stalled in March when a knee injury required surgery, putting his World Cup participation in doubt. Throughout recovery, he kept Ronald Koeman informed. “Coach, I’m fit, I’m coming,” he messaged. Koeman already knew Kluivert’s qualities and the physical toll the pre-tournament months had taken. “I’m just happy I got my first World Cup minutes against Tunisia,” Kluivert said.

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Without the setback, his tournament might have looked different. Earlier in the Nations League, he impressed as a number ten against Spain. “The injury came at a bad time. This World Cup could have looked very different for me. But I’m here now, and I visualise daily what I can still bring to the team.” Kluivert and Noa Lang, close friends since Ajax days, share similar roles and frustrations. “We’ve found each other because our situations are alike,” Kluivert explained. “A squad has more than eleven starters, and the coach can only pick eleven. We’re a team—that matters.” His next target is a starring role against Morocco in Monterrey. “That’s the next step,” he said. “I’m ready when called.”