Forward Memphis Depay is facing heavy criticism following a dirty foul on center-back Shogo Taniguchi in the opening Group F match of the 2026 World Cup early on June 15.
In the 83rd minute of the match between the Netherlands and Japan at the Dallas stadium, Depay jumped to contest an aerial ball and collided heavily with center-back Taniguchi’s face.
After the play, the Japanese international collapsed on the pitch in a daze, while Depay received a yellow card from the referee. Slow-motion replays showed that Depay seemingly turned his body intentionally, letting his elbow and bicep area hit Taniguchi’s face forcefully.
Immediately, the moment of Depay’s foul was widely shared on social media, attracting a massive amount of engagement. An account named Matt Wallace recorded over 7.8 million views thanks to a video capturing the collision between Depay and Taniguchi.
In the comments section, many fans criticized the Dutch forward. One account wrote: “An ugly moment from Depay.” Another person commented: “It was not a dangerous enough situation for Depay to act like that.” Meanwhile, another fan commented: “The dirtiest play since the start of the World Cup.”
Depay was brought onto the pitch by coach Ronald Koeman in the 70th minute to replace Donyell Malen. However, the former Manchester United forward did not leave much of a mark other than the foul on Taniguchi. During his time on the field, Depay only touched the ball 10 times and created one goal-scoring opportunity for his teammates.
The 2-2 draw against Japan helped the Netherlands extend their unbeaten streak in regular time at the World Cup to 20 consecutive matches. Even though they have not yet been able to win their first world championship in history, the European team still demonstrates remarkable stability on the planet’s biggest stage.
