Kluivert reveals Malen's advice after World Cup penalty miss

Kluivert revealed that Malen's advice to focus on the next match helped him move past his World Cup penalty miss in Mexico.

Justin Kluivert has opened up about the impact of Donyell Malen's support following his missed penalty in the World Cup round of 16 in Mexico, which contributed to the Netherlands' elimination. After the ball hit the post and Kluivert faced criticism including racist abuse, many offered words of encouragement, but only Malen's message resonated deeply.

Malen told him simply: "Think about the next one. You have to move forward." Kluivert has since scored again from the penalty spot and reflected on the moment with maturity. "When you've barely touched the ball, it's difficult to take a penalty like that. But I'd do it again. I did almost everything right, so the fact it hit the post was incredible," he said.

Kluivert acknowledged that Malen's wisdom—that mistakes are part of football—proved invaluable during a period when the Netherlands is rebuilding under Xavi. The story resonated with Dutch fans partly because team cohesion had been questioned in the past, and Kluivert's account demonstrated the squad's genuine unity.