Memphis Could End Corinthians' 20-Year World Cup Silence
The Dutchman is the only Corinthians player at the 2026 World Cup — and he carries a drought on his back that began with Tevez in 2006
Twenty years. That's how long Corinthians have been waiting for a World Cup goal — and Memphis Depay has the chance to end it this Sunday.
The Netherlands open Group F against Japan at 17:00 (Brasília time) in Dallas. Memphis is the only Corinthians player called up to the 2026 World Cup, so the mission is his and his alone.
The last player to find the net while on Corinthians' books was Carlitos Tevez, in 2006 — during Argentina's 6–0 demolition of Serbia in the group stage. Since then, nothing. Twenty years of silence.
If the filter is narrowed to the Brazilian national team, the drought goes back even further: Sócrates, in 1982, was the last Corinthians player to score for the Seleção at a World Cup. He netted twice in that edition — once in the win over the Soviet Union, and again in the unforgettable 3–2 defeat to Italy. In total, 26 players have represented Corinthians and gone on to play at a World Cup.
The problem? Memphis arrives at the opener as a substitute. In the Netherlands' last two warm-up matches before the tournament, the No. 10 was left on the bench. For Corinthians this season, he has managed one goal and one assist in 14 appearances — a run marked by a right-thigh muscle injury that kept him off the pitch for around two months, according to ge.
Golmetria's model gives the Netherlands an 86% chance of advancing from the group stage — but for Memphis, the immediate challenge is simpler and more pressing: get on the pitch and prove he is still the player capable of ending two decades of waiting.
The opening whistle sounds this Sunday. The drought ends — or it goes on.