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Matthijs de Ligt (born August 12, 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Netherlands national team. De Ligt, regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, is noted for his power, leadership, and aerial skill.

De Ligt made his senior Ajax debut in a cup game against Willem II in September 2016. After 25 minutes, he scored from a corner, becoming the second-youngest goalkeeper in history, after only Clarence Seedorf. As he began against Manchester United in the 2017 UEFA Europa League Final on May 24, he became the youngest player in history (17 years and 285 days).

De Ligt won the Golden Boy award on December 17, 2018, becoming the first defender to do so. The following season, he helped Ajax win the domestic double and reach the Champions League semi-finals. His efforts earned him a move to Juventus in Serie A, where he won the Kopa Trophy in 2019. During his first season with the Turin club, he won the Serie A title.

De Ligt made his debut for the Netherlands in 2017 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest player to do so since 1931. He played in UEFA Euro 2020 and the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

International career

On 25 March 2017, De Ligt made his debut for the Dutch national team in a 2″0 away defeat to Bulgaria in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match.   Danny Blind, the national team coach, called De Ligt up despite the fact that he had only started two league games for Ajax. He was the youngest player to start for the national team since 1931, at the age of 17.

De Ligt started and played 90 minutes in all four UEFA Nations League group matches against Germany and France as the Netherlands won the group and qualified for the inaugural Nations League Finals. On 5 June, he scored a header against England to help his country go to the final, where the Netherlands were defeated 0-1 by Portugal.

On June 27, 2021, he was sent off for handball against the Czech Republic in the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16, in which the Netherlands eventually conceded two goals and were eliminated from the competition.

play style

De Ligt is widely recognized as one of the most promising young players in the world, as demonstrated by his victory of the 2018 Golden Boy award, which is given to the most spectacular young player in European football.

De Ligt, who began his career as an offensive midfielder, is a physically and technically skilled right-footed centre-back recognized for his clean tackling, anticipation, marking, height, strength, speed, and accurate passing, which allows him to start attacking plays from the back. His height allows him to pose a significant threat from set pieces, while his power ensures that he is unlikely to be pushed off the ball, especially in aerial duels. His playing style has been likened to that of Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué; he has also been compared to Jan Vertonghen due to his “similar forward surges, a proclivity to create an extra man in midfield, and calmness on the ball,” and to compatriot Ronald Koeman due to his “powerful shot and body strength.”

According to a 2019 UEFA.com profile, De Ligt is a “A natural leader who is also a graceful two-footed central defender. Dominant in the air, he possesses strength, great delivery, and composure, and is able to play out from the back due to his confidence in possession, while his clever positioning assists him in denying pacy strikers. He could also play in midfield due to his ability to read the game. His leadership also stands out: he was appointed Ajax skipper when he was 18 years old.” The ability of De Ligt to play out from the back and manage his fellow teammates are valuable commodities in a time when the shortage of talented defenders has been emphasized, according to Paul Wilkes of The Independent.

Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher commended De Ligt for his “physical attributes” and “leadership qualities”. Carragher has also stated that he plays “like he’s 24 or 25,” implying maturity and strength. “He’s got composure on the ball, he’s aggressive tactically, he sees the game, he reads the game well, and he’s got that driving force for himself as well in what you need to do and where you want to go,” former Dutch centre-back Jaap Stam said of De Ligt.

Marcello Lippi, one of Juventus’ former managers, said of the defender’s early performances when he signed with the club: “Alessandro Nesta, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Ciro Ferrara, Fabio Cannavaro, and Marco Materazzi are among the greats I’ve seen. I’ve never seen somebody his age like that before.”

Giacomo Chiuchiolo described De Ligt as a “complete” and brilliant young defender in 2019, noting that while he is not particularly quick, he possesses outstanding positioning and the ability to understand the game, among other technical and physical attributes. Despite his talent, he has been chastised in the media for being inconsistent, owing to his proclivity for occasional lapses or errors. In October 2019, his Juventus defensive teammate Leonardo Bonucci stated that he believes De Ligt will overcome these weaknesses over time as he matures and gains more experience, as well as successfully adapting to the team’s new defensive strategy under manager Maurizio Sarri, which employs a zonal marking system rather than man-to-man marking.

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