Matthijs de Ligt

Ajax

De Ligt joined the Ajax youth academy when he was nine years old from his local club in Abcoude, just outside of Amsterdam. At first, the coaches at the youth academy thought he was too slow and out of shape, but he was given a chance to develop in the academy and went on to prove his quality.

2016–17: Jong Ajax and development

He made his debut for Jong Ajax on 8 August 2016 in an Eerste Divisie game against Emmen, playing the full game. During the season, De Ligt played in 17 matches for Jong Ajax. On 21 September, De Ligt made his debut for Ajax's senior team in a cup game against Willem II. He scored from a corner after 25 minutes, making him the second-youngest goalscorer ever behind Clarence Seedorf; Ajax won the game 5–0. On 24 October, Ajax announced through Twitter that De Ligt had been promoted to the senior squad. De Ligt quickly entrenched himself in the first team after being promoted and went on to play in 11 league matches and nine in the Europa League. On 24 May, he became the youngest player ever (17 years and 285 days old) to play in a major European final when he started against Manchester United in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final.

2017–19: Breakthrough and captaincy

After the sale of Davinson Sánchez to Tottenham Hotspur in August 2017, De Ligt became a first-team starter. He was named the youngest captain of Ajax in March 2018 after injury to club captain Joël Veltman. De Ligt appeared in 37 matches in all…

Youth

De Ligt played youth international football for the Netherlands at under-15, under-16, under-17, and under-19 levels.

Senior

Early senior career

On 25 March 2017, De Ligt made his debut for the Dutch senior squad in a 2–0 away defeat against Bulgaria during 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. At the age of 17, he became the youngest player to start for the national team since 1931. He was sent off in his second appearance, a 2–1 friendly victory against Morocco on 17 May. During the group stage of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, De Ligt started and played 90 minutes in all four matches against Germany and France. On 24 March 2019, De Ligt scored his first goal for the Netherlands in a 3–2 loss against Germany during UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying. In May 2019, De Ligt was named in the Netherlands' squad for the inaugural Nations League Finals. On 5 June 2019, he scored a header in a 3–1 victory against England at the semi-final stage. Four days later, he started alongside captain Virgil van Dijk in central defence as the Netherlands were defeated 1–0 by hosts Portugal in the final.

2020s

De Ligt was a member of the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2020. After missing the team's opening match against Ukraine, he made his tournament debut against Austria on 17 June 2021. De Ligt was sent off for handball in the Netherlands' 2–0 loss to the Czech Republic at the round of 16 stage on 27 June. On 14 June 2022, De Ligt served as captain…

De Ligt was considered by pundits to be among the most highly regarded young prospects in world football, as demonstrated by his victory in the 2018 Golden Boy award, which is assigned to the most impressive young player in European football. Having played as an attacking-midfielder in his youth, De Ligt is both a physical and technically gifted right-footed centre-back, who is known for his clean tackling, anticipation, marking, height, strength and accurate passing, which enables him to start attacking plays from the back. His height allows him to be a major threat from set pieces, while his strength means that he is unlikely to be pushed off the ball, particularly in aerial duels. His playing style is often compared to that of Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué; he has also been likened to Jan Vertonghen, due to his "similar forward surges, a propensity to create an extra man in midfield, and calmness on the ball," and to compatriot Ronald Koeman, courtesy of his "powerful shot and body strength." A 2019 UEFA.com profile described De Ligt as a "natural leader [who] is an elegant two-footed central defender. Dominant in the air, he is blessed with strength, fine distribution and composure, and is able to play out from the back thanks to his confidence in possession, while his intelligent positioning helps him deny pacy forwards. With his ability to read the game, he could even play in midfield. His leadership also stands him out: he was 18 when he was made Ajax skipper."…

On 7 June 2024, De Ligt married his long time girlfriend, Annekee Molenaar, a Dutch model and daughter of Keje Molenaar. In July 2025, they split after a year, due to lifestyle incompatibility.