Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former Manchester United striking legend, has officially returned to international football after signing a contract to become an assistant coach for the Netherlands national team.
The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced the appointment on Friday, confirming the 49-year-old will join head coach Ronald Koeman’s staff on February 1 as preparations intensify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
This marks a return to familiar surroundings for van Nistelrooy, who previously served as an assistant to Guus Hiddink in 2014 and was also part of the national team setup during Euro 2021.
Expressing his honour at the opportunity, van Nistelrooy stated, “Returning to this role with the Dutch and representing the Netherlands with this staff and talented group of players is a huge honour and a wonderful challenge for me”.
He added that the prospect of contributing on the World Cup stage made the appointment particularly special. His integration expands Koeman’s primary coaching team to three assistants, alongside his brother Erwin Koeman and former international teammate Wim Jonk.
National team manager Ronald Koeman welcomed the appointment, saying he looked forward to drawing on van Nistelrooy’s “valuable tournament experience, both as a player and as a coach”.
Van Nistelrooy brings a wealth of top-level experience from a storied playing career that featured 70 caps and 35 goals for the Netherlands, alongside legendary club stints with PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, and Real Madrid. His transition into coaching has seen him gain diverse experience across European football.
After beginning his managerial career at PSV, he returned to Manchester United in 2024, first as part of Erik ten Hag’s backroom staff before taking interim charge of the first team for four unbeaten matches. His most recent role was as manager of Leicester City in the English Premier League, a position he held from November 2024.
The Netherlands, who sailed through their World Cup qualifying group unbeaten, have been drawn in Group F for this summer’s tournament, which will be hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Their campaign is set to begin on June 14 with a match against Japan in Texas.
The Oranje will be aiming to improve on their quarter-final exit at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were eliminated by Argentina in a penalty shootout.
With van Nistelrooy’s proven goal-scoring expertise and growing tactical acumen now part of the coaching staff, the Dutch federation is bolstering its bid for success on the global stage.