Biography
Matthijs de Ligt (2026)
Table of Contents
Who is Matthijs de Ligt?
Matthijs de Ligt is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Manchester United in the Premier League. Before joining Manchester United, he played for Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich. He joined Manchester United in August 2024 and wears the number 4 shirt. He has also represented the Netherlands at senior international level.
| Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Matthijs de Ligt |
| Date Of Birth | August 12, 1999 |
| Birth Place | Leiderdorp, Netherlands |
| Parent(s) | Frank de Ligt Vivian de Ligt |
| Profession | Footballer |
| Partner | Annekee Molenaar |
| Age | 27 years |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in |
| Weight | 70 kg |
| Net Worth | US $10 million |
Bio
Matthijs de Ligt was born on 12 August 1999 in Leiderdorp, the Netherlands, to his father, Frank de Ligt, and mother, Vivian de Ligt. He grew up alongside his twin brother, Fleur, and his younger brother, Wouter de Ligt. Matthijs de Ligt was born on August 12, 1999, in Leiderdorp, Netherlands. He is 27 years old as of 2026.
Nationality and Physical Stats
Matthijs de Ligt is Dutch and plays as a centre-back. He stands around 1.88 meters (6 feet 2 inches) tall and weighs approximately 79 kg.
Personal Life
Matthijs de Ligt married Dutch model AnneKee Molenaar in 2024. The couple later separated, and in 2026 Molenaar publicly discussed their breakup, saying that they had mutually decided to end their relationship after their romantic feelings had changed. De Ligt has subsequently been reported as dating model Amber Yuusef, although he has indicated that they prefer to keep their relationship private.
Social
Matthijs de Ligt is active on social media platforms. His Instagram account (@mdeligt_) has over 6 million followers. His Twitter/X account (@mdeligt_04) follower count should be reverified directly, as I couldn’t confirm a current figure. His Facebook page (@Matthijs4DeLigt) reportedly has over 277,000 followers, though its current verification status is unconfirmed. As of 2026, he plays for Manchester United, having previously played for Ajax, Juventus, and Bayern Munich.
Career
Club Career
Matthijs de Ligt started his professional career when he was just nine years old. He enrolled in the Ajax youth academy and began his football journey. He later went on to play with the reserve team of AFC Ajax, Jong Ajax, in the 2016-2017 season. Despite being a defensive player, he appeared for a total of 17 games in the Eerste Divisie League and scored a goal.
He went on to be included in the leading team, AFC Ajax, in the same season and appeared for 11 league matches in which he scored a total of 2 goals, three national cup matches in which he scored a single, and made 9 European league appearances. With this, he ended the season with 23 appearances and three goals to his name. Likewise, he kicked-off the 2017-2018 season with 33 league matches, three goals to his name, two national cup matches, and 4 European league matches. With this, he ended the season with 39 appearances and three goals to his name.
In his 2018-2019 and the final season with AFC Ajax, he appeared for 33 league matches where he scored three goals, five national cup matches with one goal, and 17 European league matches with three goals to his name. With this, he ended the season with 55 appearances and seven goals to his name. Furthermore, he played 117 matches with AFC Ajax, in which he scored 13 goals.
Matthijs de Ligt signed an $89.7 million contract with the Italian professional football club Juventus on 18 July 2019. During the 2019-2020 and the first season with Juventus, he appeared for 29 Serie A league matches in which he scored a total of 4 goals, four national cup matches, and 6 European league matches. With this, he made a total of 39 appearances with four goals during that season. In the current 2020-2021 season, he has appeared for a total of 2 league matches and 1 European league match.
Matthijs de Ligt has made a total of 176 professional club appearances with a total of 18 goals to his name in his professional football career.
International Career
Matthijs de Ligt made his senior Netherlands debut in 2017 and became the youngest player to start for the Dutch senior team in decades. He has since established himself as an experienced international centre-back and has represented the Netherlands at major tournaments, including UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.
Achievements
Matthijs de Ligt has won the Best player of ABN AMRO Future Cup and Copa Amsterdam in 2015. He was also the Ajax Talent of the year in 2018 and Talent of the Future in 2016. He was also named the Dutch Footballer of the year in 2018 and won the Golden Boy award in 2018. He landed on the number 9 in the Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2019 and was also awarded the Kopa Trophy in 2019. Moreover, he also got included in the 2019 UEFA Team of the year and 2019 FIFA FIFPro World11.
Matthijs de Ligt made his senior Netherlands debut in 2017 and became the youngest player to start for the Dutch senior team in decades. He has since established himself as an experienced international centre-back and has represented the Netherlands at major tournaments, including UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.
Net Worth
As of 2026, Matthijs de Ligt has an estimated net worth of around $95–100 million, a sharp rise driven by a string of high-value transfers (Ajax → Juventus → Bayern Munich → Manchester United) and a current salary of approximately £11.4 million (around $14.5 million) per year at Manchester United.
