Time for some more disco lights after the anthems, then the DJ drops some more Guetta-style beats. Long set-list this...

Ian Dennis
Radio 5 live senior football reporter

Jordan Henderson has been a consistent choice as captain under Gareth Southgate, this will be his fifth time from the start of a match.

Harry Kane has been captain four times - it will probably be a choice between the two of them.

Kane would be my choice.

England manager Gareth Southgate on picking Jordan Pickford: "There is great competition for places, he has outstanding distribution which is a great asset in the way we want to play."

On Jack Wilshere's absence: "It is shame for Jack. Obviously across the two games we wanted to look at different players, Jordan Henderson is in the pivot and we have good attacking players who can score goals as well.

"We want players to gain belief and come to Holland, who haven't qualified but are still a top team, and get a good result."

Time for a pre-match rave. While the players line up, stoney-faced and fully-focused, some adrenalin-pumping EDM is blasted out with a light show that is more akin to Amsterdam's famed De Marktkantine nightclub rather than a football stadium.

Gary Flintoff
BBC Radio 5 live producer at Johan Cruyff ArenA

The atmosphere is really being cranked up inside the stadium now with the announcer running through the Netherlands starting line-up. He is only saying the first name of each player, allowing the crowd to shout the surname. Justin Kluivert, who is on the bench, got a great ovation. Now it is time for some Europop!

There's a familiar name on the Dutch bench tonight...Kluivert. Not Patrick, of course, he's sat in a television studio. His 18-year-old son Justin, making a name for himself at Ajax, is hoping to make his Oranje debut tonight...

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at the AmsterdamArenA

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has completed his warm-up and is given a big hug by Jack Butland as he makes his way down the tunnel. The goalkeeper's union in full effect.

Manager Gareth Southgate says he knows who his keeper would be if the World Cup was starting tomorrow - and Pickford's selection suggests it would be him.

The debate is still open but Pickford can take a giant stride towards making the position his own here in Amsterdam.

Argentina star Lionel Messi can "carry the team on his shoulders" at this year's World Cup in Russia, according to manager Jorge Sampaoli.

Messi has won every honour with his club side Barcelona but time is running out on an elusive World Cup.

In Brazil four years ago, Messi was named the best player but his side were beaten in the final by Germany.

"This is going to be his team," Sampaoli said, before his side's friendly against Italy on Friday.

"Messi is the best of all and is in a stage of maturity that can he can carry the team on his shoulders. It is more his team than mine."

Image source, Getty Images

I wonder if other World Cup nations are getting so irate about their team selections tonight? France aren't playing Paul Pogba, former Botlon striker Rodrigo starts up top for Spain, while Argentina have left some lad called Lionel Messi on the bench...

Follow Germany v Spain, plus Argentina v Italy and the best of the rest, here.

Anyone out there not raging about this England team? Steam is almost coming out of my computer because of the messages we're getting on social media...

Danny Mills
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 live

When I go through that team, I would expect Dele Alli to start if tonight was the opening match of the World Cup, maybe Eric Dier.

There aren't 11 outstanding players to make you say 'this is the England team'.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been named captain of the Netherlands, taking over from Arjen Robben after he retired from international duty in October following their failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Van Dijk, 26, joined the Reds from Southampton in January for a world record £75m fee for a defender.

He said: "It is great news, for me and my family. I am very happy with it, it is a great honour to be the captain of your country."

Gary Flintoff
BBC Radio 5 live producer at the Johan Cruyff ArenA

Image source, BBC Sport

The Ajax side of the 1970s pioneered so-called ‘Total Football’. The current Ajax side play their games as the recently re-named Johan Cruyff ArenA.

The stadium is also the base for the national team. One Dutch fan told me earlier the summer will be “terrible” without the Netherlands competing at the World Cup. He’s hoping for a much needed morale-boosting win against England tonight.

The Republic are unable to summon up a response to Mehmet Topal's 52nd-minute goal as the Turks have little difficulty in holding on. Not a game to live long in the memory. Debutant Declan Rice looked impressive for the Irish but hard to know if Martin O'Neill learned a lot from this game.

Image source, BBC Sport

Danny Mills
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 live

I think it's a little bit of a surprise. We weren't expecting Kyle Walker to play on the right side of a three, he's never really played that position before.

It might be a trial. Gareth Southgate might be thinking can Kyle fill into that position if we get two injuries? Maybe he's just looking at one or two flexible options.

Think Gareth Southgate has got a tough job? You can see how hard it is by playing our England selector tool.

Which 11 men would you entrust to start the World Cup opener against Tunisia on 18 June?

Pick what you think is England's strongest XI and share it with your friends.

Ian Dennis
Radio 5 live senior football reporter

This is the penultimate game before Gareth Southgate announces his squad.

England play Nigeria in June, but the chances are he will have named his 23 men by then. He'll be looking at seven defenders for that squad, and in that, you're probably going to have four centre-halves. He's going to play a back three in Russia so he's looking at those different combinations.

This to me is a clear sign that Joe Gomez is in the shake-up for the 23-man squad.

There's a lively debate over on 5 live between Danny Mills, John Murray, Ian Dennis and host Darren Fletcher about this England side and its resemblance to the one which will start against Tunisia on 18 June in the summer.

Who's the first-choice keeper? Who starts at centre-half? What about centre-midfield? More questions than answers at the moment...