Matthijs de Ligt made his Ajax debut at 17 and was captain at 19, leading the club to the 2019 Champions League semi-finals and the Dutch league and cup double. He won the Golden Boy award as Europe’s best young player in 2018.
Juventus paid β¬75 million for him in 2019, and he won Serie A in his first season. After three years in Turin he joined Bayern Munich, winning the Bundesliga, and then reunited with his former Ajax coach Erik ten Hag at Manchester United in 2024.
De Ligt is a strong, aggressive centre-back who is dominant in the air. He has won more than 45 caps for the Netherlands.
Playing style
De Ligt is a strong, aggressive centre-back who is dominant in the air and powerful in the tackle. He is also comfortable on the ball, with a good passing range and the confidence to step into midfield. His leadership qualities were clear from an early age, when he captained Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals at 19. His career since has had ups and downs, with spells in and out of the team at Juventus and Bayern, but he remains a reliable defender at the highest level, strong in the physical battles of the Premier League.
International career
De Ligt made his Netherlands debut in 2017, at 17, and played at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup. He was also in the squad for Euro 2024, where the Netherlands reached the semi-finals.
Career in numbers
De Ligt’s senior club career, which began in 2016/17, has so far brought 363 appearances and 29 goals for 4 clubs. The 2018/19 season, with 7 goals from 55 matches for Ajax, remains his highest tally. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.