Frenkie de Jong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Frenkie de Jong

De Jong in 2021
Personal information
Date of birth	(1997-05-12) 12 May 1997 (age 28)
Place of birth	Gorinchem, Netherlands
Height	1.81 m
Playing position	Central midfielder
Club information
Current club	Barcelona
Number	21
2016–2019	Ajax	57	(4)
2019–	Barcelona	160	(13)
National team‡
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2012	Netherlands U15	1	(0)
2014–2015	Netherlands U18	5	(1)
2015–2016	Netherlands U19	8	(0)
2016	Netherlands U20	2	(0)
2017	Netherlands U21	6	(1)
2018–	Netherlands	55	(2)
Honours Men's football Representing  Netherlands UEFA Nations League Runner-up 2019 Portugal
† Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:10, 16 November 2024 (UTC)

Frenkie de Jong (born 12 May 1997) is a Dutch professional footballer. He plays as a central midfielder for the Spanish club Barcelona. He also plays for the Netherlands national team. Many people think he is one of the best midfielders in the world.

Frenkie started his professional football journey at Willem II in 2015. A year later, he moved to Ajax for a very small fee. At Ajax, he became known as one of Europe's top young midfielders. He helped Ajax win two big trophies in the Netherlands and reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. This was a huge achievement for the club.

In 2019, Frenkie agreed to join Barcelona for a fee of €75 million. He was chosen for the 2019 FIFA FIFPro World11, which is like a dream team of the best players in the world. He made his first appearance for the Netherlands national team in 2018. He helped his country reach the finals of the UEFA Nations League. He has also played for the Netherlands in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Early Life and Football Start

Frenkie de Jong was born in Gorinchem, Netherlands. He grew up in a town called Arkel. His parents, Marjon and John, named him after a British pop band. Frenkie has a younger brother named Youri.

He started playing football at age six at a local club called ASV Arkel. When he was eight, a professional club, Willem II, noticed his talent. He then joined their youth academy, which was shared with another club, RKC Waalwijk. This is where he began to develop his skills.

Club Football Journey

Starting at Willem II

Frenkie de Jong signed his first professional contract with Willem II on 1 August 2013, when he was just sixteen. He made his first big league game appearance in the Eredivisie on 10 May 2015. This was just two days before his eighteenth birthday. He played for 68 minutes in a 1–0 win against ADO Den Haag.

Growing at Ajax

De Jong playing for Ajax in 2019.

In August 2015, Ajax bought Frenkie de Jong. He signed a four-year contract. The fee was a symbolic €1 million, which meant Willem II would get more money if Ajax sold him later. He was loaned back to Willem II for a few months.

Developing into a Star (2016–2019)

For his first two years at Ajax, Frenkie played mostly for their reserve team, Ajax II. He played 15 games in the 2015–16 season, scoring two goals. The next year, he played 31 games and won the "Talent of the Season" award for his great performances.

He made his first team debut for Ajax in 2016. He played four games and scored one goal in the 2016–17 season. He also played in the Europa League final against Manchester United. This was Ajax's first European final in 21 years!

In the 2017–18 season, he played 26 games for the first team. He often played as a defender alongside his teammate Matthijs de Ligt. He also played in midfield. He had eight assists in 22 league games. Towards the end of the season, he got injured and missed three months of play.

The 2018–19 season was a huge success for Frenkie. He played in the middle of the midfield. He was named the Eredivisie Player of the Month twice. Experts like Rafael van der Vaart praised his skills with the ball. He helped Ajax win their first league and cup double since 2002.

He played 51 games that season. He was key in Ajax reaching the Champions League semi-finals. This was the first time Ajax had reached this stage since 1997. They beat strong teams like Juventus and Real Madrid. Even though they lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals, Frenkie was named in the Champions League Squad of the Season. He was also voted the tournament's Midfielder of the Season.

Moving to Barcelona

On 23 January 2019, the famous Spanish club Barcelona announced they had signed Frenkie de Jong. He joined them on 1 July 2019, for an initial fee of €75 million. He had also talked with other big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, but he chose Barcelona.

He played his first official game for Barcelona on 16 August 2019. He played a very important role in the 2021 Copa del Rey final. Barcelona won 4–0 against Athletic Bilbao, and Frenkie scored one goal and helped with two others.

After the club captain Sergio Busquets left, Frenkie de Jong became one of Barcelona's four captains on 21 July 2023.

International Career

Youth Teams

Frenkie de Jong played eight games for the Netherlands under-19 team. He also played six games and scored one goal for the under-21 team.

Playing for the Senior Team

Starting Strong (2018–2019)

In August 2018, Frenkie de Jong was called up to the Dutch senior squad for the first time. He made his debut in a friendly match against Peru. A few days later, he started his first game against France.

In June 2019, he was part of the Netherlands team that finished second in the UEFA Nations League Finals. He was named the Young Player of the Tournament. In September of the same year, he scored his first goal for the national team in a 4–2 win against Germany.

Recent Tournaments (2020s)

In June 2021, Frenkie was part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He played in all the group matches. In November 2022, he was chosen for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On 29 November, he scored his first World Cup goal in a 2–0 win against Qatar. He played all 120 minutes when the Netherlands lost to Argentina in the quarter-finals.

In June 2023, he played in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He was also named in the squad for UEFA Euro 2024, but had to miss it due to an ankle injury.

How Frenkie Plays Football

Frenkie de Jong says he likes to have the ball a lot and keep possession. He is a very flexible player. He can play in many midfield roles, like a deep playmaker or a defensive midfielder. He can even play as a centre-back.

People praise him for being good at both defending and creating attacks. When he played as a centre-back at Ajax, he rarely fouled opponents. He was great at finding the right position and winning the ball back. Because he could move forward with the ball and create plays from defense, some compared him to the famous German player Franz Beckenbauer.

Frenkie is known for his excellent vision on the field. He can dribble well in tight spaces, control the ball, and make important passes. He is a natural dribbler and was one of the best at it in his last season with Ajax. He is also very good at reading the game and often makes runs forward to attack.

Other strengths include his long passes across the field. He is good at creating space for his teammates and handling pressure from opponents. His close control of the ball, accuracy, hard work, and movement have led to comparisons with legendary players like Andrés Iniesta and Johan Cruyff. At Barcelona, he usually plays on either side of the central midfield. Many experts believe he has "Barça DNA" and was "born to play for Barcelona."

Personal Life

Frenkie de Jong wears the number 21 on his shirt as a tribute to his grandfather, who was born on 21 April.

He met his wife, Mikky Kiemeney, in high school. They have been together since 2014. They got engaged in July 2022 and married in May 2024. They have a son named Miles, who was born on 21 November 2023.

Honours

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 2018–19
• KNVB Cup: 2018–19
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2016–17

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2022–23
• Copa del Rey: 2020–21
• Supercopa de España: 2023, 2025

Netherlands

• UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2018–19

Individual Awards

• Eerste Divisie Talent of the Season: 2016–17
• Eredivisie Player of the Month: December 2018, February 2019
• Eredivisie Player of the Season: 2018–19
• Eredivisie Team of the Season: 2018–19
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
• UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season: 2018–19
• Johan Cruyff Trophy: 2018–19
• UEFA Nations League Finals Young Player of the Tournament: 2019
• UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament: 2019
• FIFA FIFPro World11: 2019
• IFFHS Men's World Team: 2019
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2019
• Premi Barça Jugadors (Barça Players Award): 2020–21

See also

In Spanish: Frenkie de Jong para niños