Georginio Wijnaldum facts for kids
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Wijnaldum lining up for the Netherlands in 2016
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Georginio Gregion Emile Wijnaldum | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 November 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rotterdam, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Al-Ettifaq | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2004 | Sparta Rotterdam | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Feyenoord | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Feyenoord | 111 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | PSV | 109 | (40) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Newcastle United | 38 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Liverpool | 179 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Paris Saint-Germain | 31 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Roma (loan) | 14 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Al-Ettifaq | 45 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Netherlands U17 | 15 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Netherlands U19 | 17 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Netherlands U21 | 24 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011– | Netherlands | 96 | (28) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:02, 20 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:34, 25 June 2024 (UTC) |
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Georginio Wijnaldum (born 11 November 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, where he is the captain. He also plays for the Netherlands national team. People know him for his strong work ethic and great skills.
Wijnaldum started his career at Eredivisie club Feyenoord. He became the youngest player to play for the club in 2007. He played 134 matches for them and won the KNVB Cup in 2008. After Feyenoord, he played four seasons at PSV. There, he won another KNVB Cup and the Eredivisie league title. He was even named the Dutch Footballer of the Year in his last season at PSV.
In 2015, Wijnaldum joined English club Newcastle United. A year later, he moved to Liverpool. At Liverpool, he played a deeper role in the midfield. In the 2018–19 season, he scored two important goals against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. Liverpool won that game and went on to win the 2019 UEFA Champions League final. The next season, he helped Liverpool win the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and their first Premier League title in 30 years. He played 237 games for Liverpool and is seen as a club legend. In 2021, Wijnaldum moved to French club Paris Saint-Germain.
Wijnaldum has also played for the Dutch national team many times. He has played over 90 games for his country since 2011. He was part of the teams that finished third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and second in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League.
Contents
About Georginio Wijnaldum
His Early Life and Family
Georginio Wijnaldum was born and grew up in Rotterdam, Netherlands. When he was six, his parents divorced. His mother moved to Amsterdam, but Georginio stayed in Rotterdam with his grandmother. He lived with her for the rest of his childhood.
When he was very young, Georginio wasn't interested in football. He wanted to be a gymnast! But then, his cousin invited him to an open day at Sparta Rotterdam. He was asked to join their youth academy, and that's when he started to love football.
Georginio has two younger brothers, Giliano and Rajiv, who also play football. His cousin, Royston Drenthe, also came from the Feyenoord academy and played for Real Madrid. Georginio used to be known as Georginio Boateng, but he changed his last name to Wijnaldum after his mother's divorce.
Starting His Football Journey
At age six, Wijnaldum quickly improved at Sparta Rotterdam. He won two championships in his first two seasons. Big clubs like Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord wanted him. But Wijnaldum said no to their offers at first. He was happy at Sparta and didn't know many famous players from the top clubs.
After playing for Sparta for seven seasons, he decided to join Feyenoord. He believed it would help him become a better player. At Feyenoord, he joined a talented group of young players. In January 2007, just after turning 16, he was invited to train with Feyenoord's main team.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Feyenoord
On 8 April 2007, Wijnaldum played his first official game for Feyenoord. He was only 16 years and 148 days old, making him the youngest player ever for the club. He was even chosen as the best player of the match! On 2 December 2007, he scored his first goal for Feyenoord.
In the 2008–09 season, Wijnaldum played in a European competition for the first time. He scored his first European goal on 2 October 2008. On 6 March 2009, he signed a new contract with Feyenoord. On 27 February 2011, he scored four goals in one game, helping his team win 5–1.
Time at PSV Eindhoven
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On 29 June 2011, Wijnaldum moved to PSV. He made his debut for PSV on the first day of the 2011–12 season. On 21 August 2011, he scored his first goal for PSV. He quickly became a regular player, scoring goals and helping with assists.
After some older players left in 2013, Wijnaldum became PSV's captain. However, he played only 11 games that year because of a back injury. In the 2014–15 Eredivisie season, he was fully fit again. As captain, he led PSV to win their first Eredivisie title since 2008.
Moving to Newcastle United
On 11 July 2015, Wijnaldum joined English Premier League club Newcastle United. He signed a five-year contract. He made his debut on 9 August and scored a goal in a 2–2 draw. On 18 October, Wijnaldum scored four goals in a 6–2 win against Norwich City. This made him only the second Newcastle player to score more than three goals in a Premier League match.
He scored against Liverpool in a 2–0 win, and also against Manchester United and West Ham United. He finished the season as Newcastle's top goalscorer. However, Newcastle was relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.
Success at Liverpool
On 22 July 2016, Wijnaldum returned to the Premier League, signing with Liverpool. He was given the number 5 shirt.
2016–17 Season at Liverpool
Wijnaldum played his first Premier League game for Liverpool on 14 August 2016. He helped set up a goal in that game. He scored his first goal for the club on 6 November in a big 6–1 win. On 31 December, he scored the only goal in Liverpool's 1–0 win over Manchester City. This goal was highly praised. He also scored in a 3–1 win over Arsenal. In the last game of the season, he scored to help Liverpool win 3–0 and secure a spot in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League.
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2017–18 Season at Liverpool
On 28 October 2017, Wijnaldum scored his first goal of the 2017–18 season. On 2 May 2018, he scored his first away goal for an English club since 2015. This goal helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final. Liverpool set a new record for most goals scored in a Champions League season with 46 goals. Wijnaldum played the full 90 minutes in the final against Real Madrid, but Liverpool lost 3–1.
2018–19 Season at Liverpool
On 15 September 2018, Wijnaldum scored his first ever Premier League away goal. On 29 September, he played his 100th game for Liverpool. A very memorable moment came in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. Wijnaldum came on as a substitute and scored two goals in just two minutes! This helped Liverpool come back from a big deficit and reach the final. In the final, Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–0, and Wijnaldum won his first Champions League title.
2019–20 Season at Liverpool
At the start of the 2019–20 season, Wijnaldum was a key player in Liverpool's midfield. He played in the 2019 FA Community Shield and the 2019 UEFA Super Cup. Liverpool won the Super Cup, giving Wijnaldum his second trophy in three months. On 4 December 2019, he scored in Liverpool's 5–2 win over Everton. He was one of Liverpool's most important players as they won their first league title in 30 years. He played in almost all of their 38 Premier League matches, scoring four goals.
2020–21 Season at Liverpool
In the 2020–21 season, Wijnaldum scored 3 goals in 51 games for Liverpool. He helped the club reach the Champions League quarter-finals and qualify for the competition again next season. On 23 May 2021, Wijnaldum played his last game for Liverpool. Manager Jürgen Klopp confirmed he would leave the club when his contract ended.
Joining Paris Saint-Germain
On 7 June 2021, Wijnaldum signed a three-year contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Reports said PSG offered him a much better salary than Barcelona, who also wanted to sign him. His move was officially announced on 10 June. He chose the number 18 jersey.
Wijnaldum scored his first two goals for PSG in a Champions League game on 3 November 2021. His first league goal came on 4 December, when he scored a late header to save a point for his team. By the end of the season, Wijnaldum had won the league title with Paris Saint-Germain.
Loan to Roma
On 4 August 2022, Italian club Roma announced that Wijnaldum had joined them on loan from PSG. He made his debut on 14 August. However, on 21 August, he suffered a serious leg injury (tibia fracture) during training. This meant he missed most of the season. He returned to play for Roma on 11 February 2023, almost six months later. On 12 March, Wijnaldum scored his first goal for Roma.
Playing for Al-Ettifaq
On 2 September 2023, Wijnaldum signed a three-year contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq. Here, he joined his former Liverpool teammate, Jordan Henderson.
International Career
Youth Teams
Wijnaldum was a key player for the Netherlands under-17 squad in 2007. Soon after, he was chosen for the Netherlands under-19 squad.
On 4 September 2009, Wijnaldum made his official debut for the Netherlands under-21 team. He was also selected for the Netherlands at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He scored against both Germany and Russia as the team reached the semi-finals.
Senior National Team
On 2 September 2011, Wijnaldum made his international debut for the Netherlands senior squad. He came on as a substitute and scored a goal in an amazing 11–0 win against San Marino.
Wijnaldum was part of the Netherlands team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in the semi-finals and scored his second goal for the Netherlands in the third-place play-off. They beat host nation Brazil 3–0 to finish third in the tournament.
On 9 September 2018, he played his 50th game for the Netherlands. He scored goals against Germany and France. He helped the Netherlands reach the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, where they finished second.
During the qualifying games for UEFA Euro 2020, Wijnaldum was the top goalscorer for the Netherlands with eight goals. At the tournament itself, he was the team captain because Virgil van Dijk was injured. Wijnaldum scored the first goal in the Netherlands' opening Euro 2020 match and scored two more goals in another group game.
After his leg injury in August 2022, Wijnaldum could not play for the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He returned to the squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers in March 2023. In June 2023, he was part of the Dutch squad for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He scored a goal in the third-place play-off against Italy.
On 29 May 2024, Wijnaldum was chosen for the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024.
Activism and Important Messages
On 20 November 2019, after a player faced racism in a Dutch league game, Wijnaldum celebrated a goal for the Netherlands by pointing to his skin color. This was to show support against racism.
On 23 June 2021, Wijnaldum announced he would wear a rainbow armband during a Euro 2020 match. This was to show support for the LGBT community and also for German captain Manuel Neuer, who had worn a similar armband.
Honours and Awards
Georginio Wijnaldum has won many trophies and awards throughout his career:
Feyenoord
- KNVB Cup: 2007–08
PSV
- Eredivisie: 2014–15
- KNVB Cup: 2011–12
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2012
Liverpool
- Premier League: 2019–20
- UEFA Champions League: 2018–19 (and runner-up in 2017–18)
- UEFA Super Cup: 2019
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2019
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2021–22
Roma
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2022–23
Netherlands
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2014
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2018–19
Individual Awards
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2014–15
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
- UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament: 2019
- Rotterdam Talent of the Year: 2007
Images for kids
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Wijnaldum lining up for the Netherlands in 2016
See also
In Spanish: Georginio Wijnaldum para niños
