Matthijs de Ligt

Matthijs de Ligt made his mark at Ajax before he had left his teens, breaking into the first team in 2016 and going on to make 117 appearances there. The high point came in the 2018/19 season, when he captained the club to the Dutch title and cup double and through to a UEFA Europa League final. His performances that season brought the Golden Boy award, the Kopa Trophy and the Dutch Footballer of the Year title, along with a place in UEFA's Team of the Season.

That form took him to Juventus in a transfer worth 85 million euros. He spent three seasons in Turin, making 117 appearances, before moving to Bayern Munich in 2022 for 77 million euros. In Munich he won the Bundesliga title and the German Super Cup, and was named in the Bundesliga's team of the season for 2022/23.

De Ligt joined Manchester United in August 2024. In his first season in England, he helped the club reach the UEFA Europa League final. In May 2026 it was reported that he had undergone back surgery and would miss the World Cup that year.

At international level, de Ligt debuted for the Netherlands on 25 March 2017 against Bulgaria, becoming the youngest player to start for the national team since 1931. He has since won the runners-up medal in the UEFA Nations League and played at both Euro 2020, where he was sent off against the Czech Republic, and the 2022 World Cup.