Memphis Depay becomes Netherlands' all-time leading goalscorer in win over Lithuania

The 31-year-old striker, now playing club football in Brazil with Corinthians, opened the scoring in the 11th minute by converting Cody Gakpo's cutback - his 51st international goal, surpassing the previous record of 50 set by Robin van Persie. Depay then sealed the win with a powerful header from a Denzel Dumfries cross in the 63rd minute, taking his tally to 52 goals in 104 caps.

"I'm super proud and very glad I got past Robin," Depay told Dutch broadcaster NOS after the match. "I thanked everyone in the dressing room. I also want to thank old teammates like Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Arjen Robben, and Patrick Kluivert - they inspired me. It was because of Kluivert that I wanted to reach the Dutch national team."

The Netherlands looked to be cruising when Quinten Timber doubled their lead in the 33rd minute. However, the world's 143rd-ranked side, Lithuania, mounted an unexpected comeback. Gvidas Gineitis pulled one back before Edvinas Girdvainis headed in the equalizer just before halftime - making Lithuania the lowest-ranked team ever to score twice against the Netherlands.

Depay's second goal proved decisive, lifting Ronald Koeman's side to the top of Group G with 10 points from four games in the race for qualification to the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Depay had previously tied Van Persie's record with a brace against Malta in June but missed the chance to break it in a 1-1 draw against Poland. The forward responded in style against Lithuania, delivering a man-of-the-match performance under pressure.

"People often say, 'What are we supposed to do with our striker position?'" Depay added. "But we actually have a striker who scores a lot of goals. I try to let my feet do the talking; they're not going to get rid of me just yet."

Depay made his debut for the Netherlands in 2013 and scored his first international goal at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Over the years, he has featured for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Lyon, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid before making the move to Brazil in 2024.

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