Why Memphis Depay and Virgil van Dijk only wear their first names on their shirts at the FIFA World Cup

Generally, footballers wear their surnames on the back of their jerseys, but Memphis Depay and Virgil van Dijk are exceptions. Both have opted to play with their first names on their shirts for both their clubs and the Netherlands national team, each for their own distinct reasons.

Depay has been playing with his first name on his shirt since the 2012/2013 season, a decision rooted in his relationship with his mother. The Dutch forward has a Dutch mother and a Ghanaian father, but was raised solely by his mother. His father left shortly after his birth and never returned.

This is Memphis's primary reason for wearing his first name. In 2014, he told Johnny in Oranje: "He doesn't deserve to be on the back of my shirt. I no longer speak to my father. I owe everything to my mother, and I am truly proud of her."

Since 2017, contact between Denny and Memphis Depay has increased. On Pauw, he stated that their relationship had been restored. "I had a conversation with him, and I've forgiven him. It's not like everything is suddenly perfect, but we have occasional contact. That does me good, and certainly him too," Memphis said in 2019.

The same applies to Van Dijk as it does to Memphis. He has a strained relationship with his father, which led him to choose to play with his first name on his back. When he was twelve, his parents divorced, and the professional footballer struggled with it. "Virgil found it difficult to forgive his father for that," said Steven Fo Sieeuw, Virgil's uncle, to The Sun in 2018.

"The truth is that his father wasn't there for many important years, and his mother is the real hero of the story. You don't remove your father's surname from your shirt without reason, and Virgil is making it clear how he feels about him in this way."

In the same interview, father Ron also spoke out. "No one from his mother's side of the family ever cared about Virgil's career until he became a professional. I have only one word to describe the reason for that: money," Ron van Dijk was quoted as saying by The Sun.

Van Dijk himself is anything but public about his relationship with his father, but in 2011, he spoke to the Dagblad van het Noorden. "I was 11, 12 years old when he left us. I lived with him for a short while and then chose to go back to my mother. He then broke off contact. At first, it wasn't pleasant, but I don't need him anymore. My father has since tried to re-establish contact."

In Dutch football, there are more examples of players who have played with their first names on their jerseys during their careers. Xavi Simons, who is recovering from a serious injury and will miss the World Cup, plays only with his first name on his back. This appears to be purely for marketing reasons, as his relationship with his father Regilio seems to be good. Jordi Cruijff, son of Dutch legend Johan Cruijff, also played with his first name in the past to feel less pressure following his father's achievements.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst also played with a different name on his shirt during his heyday. Early in his career, he played with 'Van Bronckhorst', but that changed at FC Barcelona. He didn't choose his first name, but played with 'Gio' on his shirt. The exact reason is unknown.

The Dutch national team is scheduled to play their first group stage match at the FIFA World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico on Sunday, June 14th. Oranje is in a group with Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia. The Japanese are their first opponents, followed by matches against Sweden (Saturday, June 20th) and Tunisia (Friday, June 26th). The top two teams from Group F will definitely advance, and third-placed teams with enough points will also secure a spot in the knockout stage.

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