A Dutch professional footballer, Matthijs de Ligt plays as a center-back for Juventus and the Netherlands national team. De Ligt debuted for Ajax’s senior team against Willem II on 21 September 2016. He scored a corner goal after 25 minutes, becoming the second-youngest goalscorer ever behind Clarence Seedorf. When he started against Manchester United in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final on 24 May, he became the youngest player to ever play in a major European final.
De Ligt won the Golden Boy award on 17 December 2018, becoming the first defender to win the award. In the following season, he helped Ajax win the Dutch double and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. His performances earned him a move to Juventus, where he won the Kopa Trophy in 2019. In his first season with the Turin side, he won the Serie A title. In 2017, De Ligt became the youngest player to start for the Netherlands since 1931 when he made his debut at the age of 17. During UEFA Euro 2020, he played for the Netherlands.
Matthijs de Ligt Bio/Wiki
| Birth Name | Matthijs de Ligt |
| Nick Name | The Total Defender |
| Age | 24 (as in 2023) Years |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sun Sign/Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Born Place | Leiderdorp, Netherlands |
| Date of Birth | 12 August 1999 |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Residence | Leiderdorp, Netherlands |
| Home Town | Leiderdorp, Netherlands |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Hobbies | Watching Movies, Horse Riding |
Family |
|
| Mother’s Name | Vivian de Ligt |
| Father’s Name | Frank de Ligt |
| Brother(s) | Wouter de Ligt |
| Sister(s) | Fleur de Ligt |
Girlfriends/Affairs |
|
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Annekee Molenaar |
Marital Status, Wife and Children |
|
| Wife/Spouse | Annekee Molenaar (to be) |
| Children | Daughters- None Sons- None |
Education |
|
| School | Not Available |
| College/University | Not Available |
| Educational Qualification | Graduated |
| Profession | Professional Footballer |
| Brands Endorsed | Adidas |
| Career Manager/ Player Agent | Mino Raiola |
Football Career |
|
| Debut Club | • July 18, 2019: Juventus F.C. • 2016: Jong Ajax, AFC Ajax |
| Debut International | • 2017: Netherlands national football team |
| Jersey Number | • 4 (Juventus F.C.) • 3 (Netherlands national football team) |
| Current Team(s) | • Juventus F.C. • Netherlands national football team |
| Coach/Mentor | Massimiliano Allegri |
| Position | Defender – Centre-Back |
| Foot | Right |
| Strengths | • Tackling • Interceptions • Marking • Jumping • Passing • Crossing |
| Weaknesses | • Strength • Heading • Balance |
| Achievements | Not Available |
Height, Weight, and Figure Measurements |
|
| Height (Approx.) | in centimeters- 189 cm in meters- 1.89 m in feet inches- 6’2” |
| Weight (Approx.) | in kilograms- 89 kg in pounds- 196 lbs |
Figure Measurements |
|
| Chest Size | 41 inches |
| Biceps Size | 13 inches |
| Waist Size | 34 inches |
Extra Ordinary Features |
|
| Race / Ethnicity | Dutch |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| S*xual Orientation | Straight |
| Distinctive Features | Not Available |
| Dress Size | 9 U.S. |
| Shoe Size | 12 U.S. |
Favourite Things |
|
| Favorite Playing Position | Defender |
| Favorite Car | Mercedes |
| Favorite Food | Fruits and Veg |
| Favorite Drinks | Coffee |
| Favorite Color | Blue |
| Favorite Cell Phone/Brand | Iphone |
Life Journey
WoodGram presents the story of a football genius known as “The Total Defender”.
You’ll learn about Matthijs de Ligt’s childhood and the events that shaped his life up to this point in the biography.
He is analyzed in terms of his early life, family background, life story before fame, rise to fame story, relationship, and personal life.
Yes, everyone knows he is one of the most talented defenders in the world. However, only a few consider Matthijs de Ligt’s biography, which is quite fascinating. Okay, here we go.
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Matthijs de Ligt was born on the 12th day of August 1999 to Vivian de Ligt and Frank de Ligt in Leiderdorp, a town in the western Netherlands.
In the months following his birth, Matthijs de Ligt’s parents moved to Abcoude, a town south of Amsterdam. Besides getting better economic opportunities, both parents and their children developed a deep love for the Ajax football team.
His parents, Vivian and Frank, were delighted to welcome their first child, Mathijs de Ligt. At a later time in his early childhood, his mother had another set of twins, Fleur and Wouter. To date, all of Ligt’s family members are happy.
Early on, Matthijs de Ligt always led the way as a big brother. The little brother had always felt fortunate to have a big brother with whom he had been able to share a bond since childhood.
During that time, the de Ligt brothers formed a habit of never letting each other wander in the dark alone. During the weekdays, their parents take them for a stroll to Ajax stadium (Johan Cruijff Arena).
During the course of his personal life, Matthijs was regarded as someone who would always look out for his twin siblings and never seemed afraid of meeting bullies at school.
The following is what a former teacher of Matthijs once said:
In Matthijs’ experience, when someone in his class or a member of his family gets bullied, he would not do what most people would do, which is to run away. Rather than standing in for the bullied, he would act as a substitute.
Matthijs de Ligt never thought that he would be able to find his true destiny through a career in football. The first sporting success of his career actually came with a ball in his hands rather than with his feet. A young Matthijs started playing tennis at the age of five, which he was able to do very well.
Matthijs had a difficult time settling into his new career even though he was a tennis player. This was the time in which he sought other options. It happened that one day, he got introduced to football by his friend, who invited him to go for a training session. As soon as Matthijs got back from the training, he started playing football immediately.
It took him about one year before he was able to adjust to the new sport. During this same period, he successfully enrolled on the roster of his local youth team, FC Abcoude, which gave him the opportunity to continue to showcase his talent. During Matthijs’ youth, he would always bring his little brother Wouter with him to club activities.
In his time with FC Abcoude, he possessed a steely determination and focused on a new dream of becoming a professional football player. There is no doubt that his ambitions were matched by hard work and they were not just a passing fancy. Matthijs played for FC Abcoude for another three years, a period during which he refined his skills and aimed higher.
As early as the age of nine, Matthijs de Ligt (similar to Sven Sotman) had already been spotted by some Ajax scouts who were interested in him because of two factors.
First of all, he was the best player of his generation. As for the underlying reason, it was because of his impressive growth which was stable and met their requirements at the beginning.
However, as time went on, Ajax scouts began to have doubts about the player. It was feared by them that Matthijs de Ligt was becoming heavier and heavier at a rate that might seem unfriendly to the sport. Nevertheless, they took the risk as they saw that he still had the talent in him, so they decided to take the risk.
Finally, De Ligt has had a successful trial at long Ajax, which is also known as Ajax 11 or Ajax 2 (the reserve team of Ajax). During his time at Ajax, Matthijs became this withdrawn and humble boy, whose ability to cope with fame became directly proportional to the way he handled the ball.
In an interview, it was noted that the most memorable moment was meeting Luis Suarez when he was still at Ajax II. It was reported that the club once provoked some of its fans on Facebook through its official channel.
It was viewed by many Ajax fans as very unprofessional on the part of the club to refer to transfers in such a way. It is perhaps for this reason that the club never sold Matthijs de Ligt to Barca in 2018, all to avoid any legal difficulties.
Matthijs de Ligt was the youngest and the fastest to rise above all youth ranks, which led to him being promoted to senior football just as he approached the age of 17. It was after he won multiple awards as a youth player that he was promoted to senior football.
When he was a 15-year-old, Matthijs de Ligt won the award for player of the tournament at a tournament for U17s and a similar award at a tournament for U19s. At that time, fans knew he was going to be one of the best players to ever play the game. An entire year has passed since then, and he has been promoted to the Ajax senior team.
Matthijs de Ligt made his successful debut match against FC Emmen on August 8, 2016, and scored a goal. On this particular day, he took the opportunity to introduce himself to the Ajax fans by scoring a basket and making the power slam gesture. This is surely an event that will stay in the memory of Ajax fans forever. Matthijs de Ligt won the award as the second youngest goalscorer over the weekend behind Clarence Seedorf.
In his first season of professional football, things started moving quickly for him, and this resulted in a meteoric rise to the top. Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt has bonded well with Ajax’s former Columbian teammate Davinson Sanchez to provide great defensive support for the club.
His team was able to qualify for the Europa team finals as a result of this. His achievement of leading his team to the final at such a tender age of 17 brought praises from all sides. Matthijs de Ligt is similar to Ruben Neves in having become the youngest player in history to play in a European final, in a squad with an average age of under 23.
As a seventeen-year-old, the maturity he exhibited, both in the press conference and as he faced a challenge from Manchester United, must surely have been priceless. Matthijs de Ligt’s personal brand fame and popularity helped further boost the careers of other Ajax young stars also, such as Kasper Dolgberg and Frenkie de Jong.
”Matthijs de Light’s continuous bravery, courage, and connection with the Ajax fans led him to pass the captaincy requirements for his team, Ajax.
The fact that he was able to secure the captaincy of his team led him to win a national award. Matthijs de Ligt became the youngest ever captain of a professional team in the history of football in the Netherlands. It is true to say that the Leiderdorp native is one of the greatest gains of Ajax under Kan’s era.
As they say, the rest is now history as they say.
It is true that every successful footballer has a glamorous girlfriend or wag standing by his side. In Matthijs’ case, right before he became successful, a beautiful lady had already opened her heart to him. In the past few weeks, Liegt has been in a relationship with a hockey player, Annick Diekman, who is playing for HC Athena, a club in Amsterdam.
Moreover, Annick is also not afraid of being in the spotlight as she is also involved in acting. As a graduate of a youth theater school in Amsterdam, Annick is also no stranger to being in the spotlight. In mid-2014, news of their affair came to light, a time when both were only childhood sweethearts just getting into dating. Matthijs de Ligt was just 15 years of age at that time.
Despite being together for a long time, Matthijs and Annick have both not made any decision on settling down.
Besides hockey and acting, Annick has been known to spend a lot of time with Matthijs even before he got famous. Unlike most promising youth footballers, Matthijs de Ligt’s personal life attribute is unique and different. Many who know him describe him to be calm, driven, focused, serious and intelligent and cheerful, social, and a loyal personality.
Mathijs is not a fan of being bothered by non-career-related attention and enjoys spending time on his own. When he is not playing football, he is most likely to be with Annick, playing FIFA, or watching shows on Netflix all day. In his opinion, he is not the type of person who wants to hang out with everyone. A recent instance was when his mom had to push him to get a driver’s license, but it didn’t work out.
Matthijs de Ligt said that he did not think acquiring driving lessons would fit into his personal training schedule. Matthijs often finds that he keeps his mind constantly occupied with what he needs to be a good defender day by day.
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Matthijs de Ligt Net Worth
How much does he earn in 2023?
In July 2019, it was announced that Matthijs de Ligt signed a contract with Juventus that will earn him the staggering salary of 14 million euros (12.5 million pounds) a year. After crunching the numbers, we have calculated that he earns €38,251 (£34,591) per day and €1,594 (£1,441) per hour!
Salary & Net Worth Updated 2023 |
|
| Estimated Net Worth in 2023 (Approx) | 20 Million Euro (17.4 Million Pound) |
| Estimated Net Worth in 2022 (Approx) | 9 Million Euro (8.1 Million Pound) |
| Estimated Net Worth in 2021 (Approx) | Not Available |
| Annual Salary | 14 Million Euro (12.5 Million Pound) |
| Per Month Salary | €1,166,667 (£1,014,493) |
| Per Week Salary | €269,231 (£234,114) |
| Per Day Salary | €38,356 (£33,353) |
| Per Hour Salary | €1,597 (£1,389) |
| Per Minute Salary | €27 (£23) |
| Current Contract | With Juventus FC |
| Contract Signed | Jul 18, 2019 |
| Contract Expires | Jun 30, 2024 |
| Contract Signing Amount or Transfer Fee | $82.50 Million |
| Market Value | $77.00 Million |
| Highest Market Value | $82.50 Million (Jun 12, 2019) |
| Endorsements | $1-$5 Million |
| Income Source | Professional Footballer |
| Cars Collection | Mercedes Benz |
Matthijs de Ligt has only just started playing professional football, but he is regarded as one of the golden boys of European football. It then means that Matthijs de Ligt’s net worth is approximately 20 million euros (17.4 million pounds). With him being at Juventus now, his net worth will certainly be going through the roof pretty soon as well.
It is safe to say that his market value is absolutely sky-high. He is the best young defender in Europe and one of the very best defenders in the entire world. The market value of Matthijs de Ligt is approximately $77.00 million as a result of this.
Matthijs de Ligt Stats/ Rating In FIFA 22
Matthijs de Ligt has a rating of 85. His potential is 89, and he plays as a Cornerback. He is a 24-year-old player from Holland who plays for Piemonte Calcio in Serie A (1) of the Italian league.
Matthijs de Ligt has 3 Weak Feet and 2 Skill Moves in FIFA 22. He is Right-footed and his workrates are Medium/High. It is known that the player’s height is 189 cm and his weight is 89 kg. As far as we know, he does have a real face in-game.
Matthijs de Ligt FIFA 22 Stats |
|||
Overall Rating In FIFA 22 | 85 | Potential In FIFA 22 | 89 |
| Attacking | Skill |
||
| 52 | Crossing | 65 | Dribbling |
| 50 | Finishing | 48 | Curve |
| 85 | Heading Accuracy | 55 | FK Accuracy |
| 75 | Short Passing | 67 | Long Passing |
| 45 | Volleys | 73 | Ball Control |
| Power | Movement |
||
| 82 | Shot Power | 71 | Acceleration |
| 93 | Jumping | 79 | Sprint Speed |
| 75 | Stamina | 60 | Agility |
| 93 | Strength | 84 | Reactions |
| 66 | Long Shots | 62 | Balance |
| Mentality | Goalkeeping |
||
| 83 | Aggression | 12 | GK Diving |
| 81 | Interceptions | 11 | GK Handling |
| 44 | Positioning | 11 | GK Kicking |
| 45 | Vision | 12 | GK Positioning |
| 40 | Penalties | 10 | GK Reflexes |
Club Career
Matthijs de Ligt Jong Ajax and development
- Matthijs de Ligt joined the Ajax youth academy when he was nine years old after playing for his local club in Abcoude, just outside of Amsterdam.
- In the beginning, the coaches at the youth academy thought he was too slow and out of shape, but they gave him a chance to develop in the academy, and he went on to prove his quality.
- Jong Ajax made his debut for the club on 8 August 2016 in an Eerste Divisie match against FC Emmen in which he played the complete game.
- During the course of the season, De Ligt played 17 matches for Jong Ajax.
- Matthijs de Ligt made his Ajax senior team debut on 21 September when the team played Willem II in a cup match.
- The 25-year-old scored a goal from a corner after 25 minutes, making him the second-youngest goal scorer behind Clarence Seedorf. Ajax won the game 5–0.
- As of 24 October, Ajax announced on Twitter that De Ligt has been promoted to the first-team squad.
- It did not take him long to establish himself in the first team after being promoted and he went on to play in 11 league matches and nine in the Europa League.
- As of the 24th of May, Matthijs de Ligt became the youngest player ever (17 years and 285 days old) to start in a major European final with a start against Manchester United in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final.
- After the sale of Davinson Sanchez to Tottenham Hotspur in August 2017, De Ligt became a regular part of the first team.
- When Ajax captain Joel Veltman went down with an injury in March 2018, he was named the youngest captain of the club.
- All in all, Matthijs de Ligt played 37 matches in all competitions and scored three goals. It has to be said that he played in every single one of his 31 league matches and played 90 minutes in all of them except for one (he had to be substituted in the 33rd minute against Vitesse Arnhem due to an injury).
- As a result of De Ligt’s outstanding performances for Ajax, he has been linked with many of Europe’s top clubs.
- De Ligt won the Golden Boy award on the 17th of December, becoming the first-ever defender to win the award.
- During a game against Real Madrid on 13 February 2019, De Ligt became the youngest captain in a Champions League knockout game at the age of 19 years and 186 days.
- In the Netherlands national cup on 27 February 2019, he played his 100th official game for Ajax, a 0-3 win against Feyenoord in the Klassieker that made him the youngest ever Ajax player to achieve this milestone.
- For the first time since the 1996–97 edition of the competition, Ajax entered the semi-finals of the Champions League the first time since De Ligt scored the winning goal in the quarter-final against Juventus on 16 April 2019.
- In addition, his goal in the knockout stages made him the youngest Dutch player to score in the knockout stages since Nordin Wooter in 1996, and he became the second-youngest player to score in the competition after Joël Matip.
Matthijs de Ligt transfer to Juventus
- It was announced on 18 July 2019 that De Ligt had signed a five-year agreement with Serie A champions Juventus for a fee of €75 million, to be paid in five annual installments, with additional costs of €10.5 million.
- The 31 August match in Serie A was his first appearance for the club in a 4–3 win over Napoli at home.
- A 1–0 win away from home over cross-city rivals Torino in the Derby della Mole on 3 November marked his first goal for the club.
International Career
- In the first match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign between the Netherlands and Bulgaria, De Ligt made his debut for the Dutch national team in a 2–0 away loss.
- Danny Blind, the national team coach, called up De Ligt to the national team, despite the fact that he had started only two league games for Ajax.
- During the 1931 season, Matthijs de Ligt became the youngest player to play for the national team at the age of 17 years old.
- De Ligt played 90 minutes in each of the Netherlands’ four group games against Germany and France in the UEFA Nations League, helping the Netherlands win the group and qualify for the very first Nations League Finals.
- It was during the semi-finals of the tournament on 5 June that he scored a header against England in order to put his team in contention to compete in the final. However, the Netherlands lost the final 0–1 to Portugal.
- Matthijs de Ligt was sent off on the 27th of June 2021 for handball in the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 matches against the Czech Republic, in which the Netherlands conceded two goals and thus had to withdraw from the competition.
Facts About Matthijs de Ligt
- De Ligt joined AFC Ajax’s youth team at the early age of nine. De Ligt was a member of the team for 8 years before leaving in 2016.
- As a result of his excellent performance in the youth team during the 2016-17 season, he was selected to play for the senior squad of Jong Ajax for the 2017-18 season.
- During that time, he made 17 appearances and scored 1 goal.
- It was at the age of 18 that de Ligt made his debut for the Netherlands against Bulgaria in a World Cup qualifier for the Netherlands.
- In the 45th minute, he was substituted in place of Wesley Hoedt who had started in the first team. The match ended in a 2-0 victory for Bulgaria.
- Since Mauk Weber debuted in 1930 at the age of 16 years old, De Ligt became the youngest Dutch debutant since that time.
- As a member of the Netherlands national team, he has made 5 appearances and has 2 assists to his name.
- As a player, he played one season for Jong Ajax in 2016-17. As a player, he played one season for Ajax Junior before being transferred to the senior side. It was during his time at Ajax Amsterdam that he made 56 appearances and scored 6 goals and contributed 2 assists.
- As a member of the AFC Ajax team that finished runner-up in the UEFA Europa League 2016-17, he has an extensive history in football.
- Also, he has to his credit individual records such as the Best Player of the ABN AMRO Future Cup 2015, the Best Player of the Copa Amsterdam 2015, the AFC Ajax Talent of the Future 2016 (Sjaak Swart Award) and the Member of the UEFA Europa League Squad for the 2016-17 season.
FAQs
Leiderdorp, Netherlands
22 years
6′ 2″
Juventus F.C.
Netherlands national football team
Mino Raiola
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Conclusion
A look at Matthijs de Ligt’s life story reveals that our career path is not solely dependent on our childhood dreams when it comes to our career path. The fact that kids compelled him to stay in the post against his wishes was an opportunity for him to build himself up.
In our opinion, the parents should be commended for the fact that they have devoted a large part of their money to enrolling Matthijs de Ligt in a sports academy. It is true they will be very proud of the fact that he never wasted the opportunity he had to succeed in his endeavors.
Thank you for taking out your precious time to read Woodgram’s version of Matthijs de Ligt’s Biography. Our team of writers and researchers care about the accuracy of our content on Dutch Footballers. Please let us know if you spot any wrongs in our article.
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