Serious challenge! Official: Ruud van Nistelrooy to join Ronald Koeman's coaching staff for 2026 World Cup preparation

The Oranje are taking an extremely determined approach ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

Details: Today, the official Netherlands national team account on social network X announced that 49-year-old specialist and former Dutch international Ruud van Nistelrooy will join Ronald Koeman's coaching staff as lead assistant in preparation for the 2026 World Cup.

It is reported that Ruud van Nistelrooy will officially take up his new role on February 1 this year.

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This will be Van Nistelrooy's third spell working with the Netherlands national team. Previously, he served as an assistant under Guus Hiddink in the 2014/15 season and also with Dwight Lodeweges in 2020/21.

Van Nistelrooy's most recent coaching job was with Leicester, which he left in the summer of 2025.

At the moment, it is known that the Netherlands have been drawn into Group F at the World Cup alongside Japan and Tunisia, with the final spot in the group yet to be determined.

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