Van Bommel Father and Son Headline the Same Day! Father Takes Charge of Belgium, Son Earns First Netherlands Call-Up!

PSV winger Ruben Van Bommel (22) made his first call-up in the 26-man squad named by new Netherlands head coach Xavi, one of just two newcomers. On the same day, his father Mark Van Bommel announced Belgium's inaugural squad, and when congratulated at the press conference, he revealed he had only just learned of the news. Ruben missed an entire season following a severe ACL injury suffered in September last year, but after returning to action he notched 2 goals and 4 assists in the first 6 Eredivisie rounds to earn this selection. During his playing career, Mark earned 79 caps for the Netherlands and was part of the runner-up squad at the 2010 World Cup. In this Nations League round, the Netherlands will face Germany, Serbia, and Greece in turn. Father and son are each launching new chapters with different national teams in the same international window.