Maarten Paes

Maarten Paes was born in Nijmegen and came through NEC Nijmegen's academy, joining the youth setup in 2012 and moving up to the senior squad in 2016 without ever making a first-team league appearance before leaving in 2018. His path to regular football went through FC Utrecht, where he made 44 league appearances and also turned out for the reserve side, Jong FC Utrecht.

The move that shaped his career came in January 2022, when he joined FC Dallas on loan, a deal made permanent that June. He won the Copa Tejas in 2024 and picked up both MLS All-Star and MLS Save of the Year honours that year. His standout performance came against LAFC in June 2024, when he made a career-high nine saves in a single match.

Paes obtained Indonesian citizenship in April 2024 and, after a CAS appeal over his previous Dutch under-21 appearances, received FIFA clearance to switch allegiance that August. He marked his senior debut for Indonesia in September 2024, in a World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia, saving a penalty from Salem Al-Dawsari in a 1–1 draw and being named Man of the Match. He was later part of the Indonesia squad that reached the final of the FIFA Series, and was named PSSI Indonesia Men's Goalkeeper of the Year in 2026.

In January 2026, Paes completed a permanent transfer to Ajax, signing a contract running until 2029.