Daley Blind

World Cup 2026 Analysis

Daley Blind will not be participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026 as he officially announced his retirement from international football with the Netherlands national team on August 14, 2024.

Blind, who earned 108 caps for the Dutch national team, made his last appearance in a one-minute cameo during a 3-0 victory over Romania at the UEFA Euro 2024. His decision to retire followed a discussion with national coach Ronald Koeman, as he expressed his desire to focus fully on his club career and family.

At 35 years old (as of March 2025), Blind continues to play for La Liga club Girona, where he signed a one-year contract extension in May 2024, keeping him with the club until June 2026. During the 2024/2025 season, Blind demonstrated his continued importance to Girona, logging significant minutes and anchoring the defense with his intelligence and distribution. He featured in 34 La Liga matches, scoring 3 goals, and also played in 4 UEFA Champions League games and 2 Copa del Rey matches. For the current 2025/2026 season, he has played 15 matches, contributing to 2 clean sheets for Girona as of December 2025.

Despite his consistent club performance, his retirement from international football means that his prospects for the FIFA World Cup 2026 are non-existent.