Biography
Who is Matthijs de Ligt?
Early life and youth career
Matthijs de Ligt was born on August 12, 1999, in Leiderdorp, Netherlands. He joined the youth academy of Ajax at nine years old after starting at a local club in Abcoude near Amsterdam. Initial youth coaches thought he was slow and out of shape, but he developed his skills within the academy system.
He made his debut for Jong Ajax in August 2016 in an Eerste Divisie game against Emmen. By September 2016, Matthijs made his senior debut for Ajax in a cup game against Willem II, scoring from a corner kick after twenty-five minutes. This made him the club second-youngest goalscorer behind Clarence Seedorf, and Ajax promoted him to the senior squad in October 2016.
Club career highlights
In May 2017, Matthijs became the youngest player to appear in a major European final when he started against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final at seventeen years and two days old. He later became the youngest captain in Ajax history in March 2018. In December 2018, he won the Golden Boy award, becoming the first defender to receive the honor for Europe best under-21 player.
Matthijs transferred to Italian club Juventus in July 2019 for a fee of seventy-five million euros. He won a Serie A title and the Italian Cup during his three years in Italy. In July 2022, he moved to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, winning another league title in his first season. He joined Premier League club Manchester United in August 2024 on a five-year contract, scoring his first goal for the club against Southampton in September.
International career
Matthijs represented the Netherlands across various youth levels, including under-15, under-16, under-17, and under-19 teams. He made his senior international debut for the Dutch national team on March 25, 2017, in a World Cup qualification match against Bulgaria. At seventeen years old, he became the youngest player to start for the national squad since 1931.
He scored his first senior international goal on March 24, 2019, against Germany during UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying. Matthijs also played in the inaugural Nations League Finals, helping his team reach the final against Portugal. He has earned over fifty caps for the Netherlands and featured in UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Birthday and age
Matthijs de Ligt was born on August 12, 1999, which makes Matthijs 27 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Matthijs shares the date with 59 other famous people.
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