Frenkie de Jong facts for kids
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De Jong playing for Barcelona in 2021
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frenkie de Jong | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 May 1997 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gorinchem, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Barcelona | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 21 | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | Willem II | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Jong Ajax | 46 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | → Willem II (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Ajax | 57 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2019– | Barcelona | 177 | (14) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 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 | 59 | (2) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:29, 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:16, 10 June 2025 (UTC) |
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Frenkie de Jong (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfrɛŋki də ˈjɔŋ]; born 12 May 1997) is a Dutch professional footballer. He plays mainly as a midfielder for the Spanish club Barcelona. He also plays for the Netherlands national team.
De Jong started his professional career at Willem II in 2015. A year later, he moved to Ajax for a very small fee. At Ajax, he became one of Europe's best young midfielders. He helped Ajax win two major trophies in the Netherlands. He also helped them reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. This was the first time Ajax had reached this stage in 22 years.
In January 2019, De Jong agreed to join Barcelona. He officially moved to the club in July for €75 million. He was chosen for the 2019 FIFA FIFPro World11. This is a team of the best players in the world.
De Jong first played for the Netherlands senior team in September 2018. He became a key player in the first UEFA Nations League tournament. The Netherlands finished as runners-up. He also played for his country in UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Football
Frenkie de Jong was born in Gorinchem, Netherlands. He grew up in Arkel. His parents named him after the British pop band "Frankie Goes to Hollywood". He has a younger brother named Youri.
Frenkie started playing football at age six for a local amateur club called ASV Arkel. When he was eight, Willem II, a professional club, noticed his talent. He then joined their youth academy.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Willem II
De Jong signed his first professional contract with Willem II on 1 August 2013. He was sixteen years old. He played his first top-league game (Eredivisie) on 10 May 2015. This was just two days before his eighteenth birthday.
Time at Ajax
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Ajax bought De Jong on 22 August 2015. He signed a four-year contract. The fee was very small, only €1, but Ajax would get a share if he was sold later. He was loaned back to Willem II until the end of 2015.
Growing into a Star (2016–2019)
For his first two years at Ajax, De Jong played mostly for their second team, Ajax II. He played 15 games in the 2015–16 season and scored two goals. The next year, he won the Talent of the Season award for his great performances with Ajax II.
He made his first team debut for Ajax in the 2016–17 season. He played four senior games and scored one goal. He also played in the Europa League. He came on as a substitute in the final against Manchester United. This was Ajax's first European final in 21 years.
In the 2017–18 season, De Jong played 26 games for the first team. He often played as a central defender. He also played in midfield. He had eight assists in 22 league games.
The 2018–19 season was a huge success for De Jong. He played mostly in midfield. He was named Eredivisie Player of the Month twice. Many experts praised his skills. He helped Ajax win their first league and cup double since the 2001–02 season.
He played a key role in Ajax's journey to the Champions League semi-finals. Ajax beat strong teams like Real Madrid and Juventus. They lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals. De Jong was chosen for the Champions League Squad of the Season. He was also voted the tournament's best midfielder.
Moving to Barcelona
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On 23 January 2019, La Liga club Barcelona announced they had signed De Jong. He joined the club on 1 July 2019. The transfer fee was €75 million. He had also talked with other big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. He made his first game for Barcelona on 16 August 2019.
He played a very important part in the 2021 Copa del Rey final. Barcelona won 4–0 against Athletic Bilbao. De Jong scored one goal and helped set up two others.
After the club captain Sergio Busquets left, De Jong became one of Barcelona's four captains on 21 July 2023. He played his 200th game for Barcelona in January 2024. In February 2024, he scored Barcelona's 11,000th goal in their history. He got an ankle injury in April 2024 and missed the rest of the 2023–2024 season.
In the 2024–2025 season, De Jong was named the third captain. His ankle injury kept him out until October 2024. He returned to play and found his best form later in the season. He played 44 games and showed great passing and smart play. This made him a key player for Barcelona. The club wants him to sign a new contract.
International Career
Youth Teams
De Jong played eight games for the Netherlands under-19 team. He also played six games for the under-21 team, scoring one goal.
Senior National Team
Starting Out (2018–2019)
In August 2018, De Jong was called up to the Dutch senior squad for the first time. He played his first game against Peru in September. He then started his first game against France.
In June 2019, De Jong was part of the Netherlands squad for the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals. He was named the Young Player of the Tournament. The Netherlands finished second to Portugal. In September of the same year, De Jong scored his first goal for the senior team. It was in a 4–2 win against Germany.
Recent Years (2020s)
In June 2021, De Jong played for the Netherlands in UEFA Euro 2020. He played in all group matches. The Netherlands lost to Czechia in the round of 16.
In November 2022, De Jong was part of the Dutch squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first World Cup goal on 29 November in a 2–0 win against Qatar. The Netherlands lost to Argentina in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout.
In June 2023, De Jong played in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He played in both the semi-final and the third-place match. He was named in the Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 2024. However, he had to leave the team due to an ankle injury.
How Frenkie Plays
Frenkie de Jong has said 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-lying playmaker or a defensive midfielder. He can also play as a central defender.
He is praised for being good at both defending and creating attacks. When he played as a defender at Ajax, he rarely fouled opponents. He was good at winning the ball back. People compared his style to the famous German player Franz Beckenbauer. This is because he likes to move forward with the ball from defense.
De Jong is known for his great vision and his ability to dribble in tight spaces. He controls the ball well and makes smart passes. He is a natural dribbler and was very successful at it in his last season with Ajax. He is also very good at reading the game. He often makes attacking runs through the middle of the field.
Other skills include making long passes across the field. He also creates space for his teammates and handles pressure from opponents well. His close control, accuracy, hard work, and movement have led to comparisons with famous players like Andrés Iniesta and Johan Cruyff. At Barcelona, he usually plays on either side of the central midfield. Many experts believe he was "born to play for Barcelona" because of his playing style.
Personal Life
De Jong chose the number 21 for his shirt. This is a tribute to his grandfather, who was born on 21 April.
De Jong 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. Their son, Miles de Jong, was born on 21 November 2023. On 13 May 2025, they announced they were expecting their second child.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Willem II | 2014–15 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Jong Ajax | 2015–16 | Eerste Divisie | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | 15 | 2 | |||
| 2016–17 | Eerste Divisie | 31 | 6 | — | — | — | 31 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 46 | 8 | — | — | — | 46 | 8 | |||||
| Ajax | 2016–17 | Eredivisie | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | |
| 2017–18 | Eredivisie | 22 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 31 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 | — | 52 | 3 | ||
| Total | 57 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 23 | 0 | — | 89 | 5 | |||
| Barcelona | 2019–20 | La Liga | 29 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 |
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 37 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 7 | |
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 32 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 4 | |
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 2 | |
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 20 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 2 | |
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 26 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 2 | |
| Total | 177 | 14 | 21 | 3 | 52 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 259 | 19 | ||
| Career total | 282 | 26 | 31 | 4 | 75 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 397 | 32 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 2018 | 5 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 16 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 59 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first; score column indicates score after each De Jong goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 September 2019 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany | 10 |  Germany |
1–1 | 4–2 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying | |
| 2 | 29 November 2022 | Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar | 48 |  Qatar |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
Honours and Awards
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2018–19
- KNVB Cup: 2018–19
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2016–17
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2022–23, 2024–25
- Copa del Rey: 2020–21, 2024–25
- 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
