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

Generally, footballers wear their surname on the back of their jersey. However, Memphis Depay and Virgil van Dijk have opted to display only their first names for both their clubs and the Dutch national team. Each player has their own distinct reasons for this choice.

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 striker 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 stated on 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 revealed 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.

For Van Dijk, the situation is similar to Memphis's. 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 hard to forgive his father for that," said Steven Fo Sieeuw, Virgil's uncle, to The Sun in 2018.

"The truth is, 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, his 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 far from 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 after that and then chose to go back to my mother. He then broke off contact. It wasn't pleasant at first, 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 worn their first name on their jersey during their careers. Xavi Simons, currently recovering from a serious injury and missing the World Cup, plays with only his first name on his back. This appears to be purely for marketing reasons, as his relationship with his father Regilio seems good. Jordi Cruyff, son of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, 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 prime. Early in his career, he wore 'Van Bronckhorst', but this changed at FC Barcelona. He didn't choose his first name, but instead played with 'Gio' on his shirt. The exact reason is not known.

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

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