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Georginio Wijnaldum

Wijnaldum lining up for the Netherlands in 2016

Personal information

Full name

Georginio Gregion Emile Wijnaldum

Date of birth

11 November 1990 (age 34)

Place of birth

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Height

1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)

Position(s)

Midfielder

Team information

Current team

Al-Ettifaq

Number

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

(11)

2016–2021

Liverpool

179

(16)

2021–2023

Paris Saint-Germain

(1)

2022–2023

→ Roma (loan)

(2)

2023–

Al-Ettifaq

(20)

International career^‡

2005–2007

Netherlands U17

(4)

2007–2009

Netherlands U19

(5)

2009–2013

Netherlands U21

(10)

2011–

Netherlands

(28)

Medal record


Representing Netherlands
FIFA World Cup
Third	2014
UEFA Nations League
Runner-up	2019

*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:33, 26 May 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:34, 25 June 2024 (UTC)

Georginio Gregion Emile 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 team's captain. He also plays for the Netherlands national team.

Wijnaldum started his youth career at Eredivisie side Feyenoord. He became the youngest player to play for the club in 2007. He played 134 matches for Feyenoord over five years, winning the KNVB Cup in 2008. After leaving Feyenoord, Wijnaldum played for PSV for four seasons. He won the KNVB Cup in his first season and the Eredivisie in his last. That year, he was also named the Dutch Footballer of the Year.

In 2015, Wijnaldum joined Premier League club Newcastle United. A year later, he moved to Liverpool. At Liverpool, Wijnaldum played a deeper role in midfield. In the 2018–19 season, he scored two important goals against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semi-final. Liverpool won that match and went on to win the 2019 UEFA Champions League final. In the next season, he helped Liverpool win the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and the Premier League. This was Liverpool's first league title in 30 years. Wijnaldum played 237 times for Liverpool and is seen as a club legend. In 2021, Wijnaldum joined French club Paris Saint-Germain.

Wijnaldum has also played for the Dutch national team since 2011, earning over 90 caps. He was part of the teams that finished third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and second in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League.

About Georginio Wijnaldum

Wijnaldum was born and grew up in Rotterdam, Netherlands. When he was six, his parents divorced. His mother moved to Amsterdam, but Wijnaldum stayed in Rotterdam with his grandmother. He lived with her throughout his childhood.

When he was younger, Wijnaldum was not interested in football. He wanted to be a gymnast or acrobat. This changed when his cousin invited him to an open day at Sparta Rotterdam. He was then invited to join the Sparta Rotterdam youth academy, and his love for football began to grow.

Wijnaldum has two younger brothers, Giliano Wijnaldum and a half-brother, Rajiv van La Parra. His cousin, Royston Drenthe, also played football for Real Madrid. Wijnaldum used to be known as Georginio Boateng, but he took his mother's maiden name, Wijnaldum, after her divorce.

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

At age six, Wijnaldum quickly improved at Sparta Rotterdam. He won two championship titles in his first two seasons. Big clubs like Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord showed interest in him. But Wijnaldum turned them down. He said he didn't watch football much and only knew famous Dutch national team players. He was happy at Sparta.

After playing for Sparta Rotterdam for seven seasons, Wijnaldum decided to join Feyenoord. He believed it would help him grow as a player. At Feyenoord, he joined a talented group of young players. In January 2007, just after turning 16, Wijnaldum was invited to train with Feyenoord's first team.

Playing for Feyenoord

Wijnaldum playing for Feyenoord in 2007

On 8 April 2007, Wijnaldum played his first official match for Feyenoord. He was in the starting team against Groningen. At 16 years and 148 days old, he became the youngest player ever to play for Feyenoord's first team. He was even chosen as the best player of the match. On 2 December 2007, he scored his first goal for Feyenoord against Heracles Almelo.

In the 2008–09 season, Wijnaldum played his first European match. He scored his first European goal for Feyenoord in a game against Kalmar FF. This win helped Feyenoord move forward in the UEFA Cup. In March 2009, Wijnaldum signed a new contract with Feyenoord. On 27 February 2011, he scored four goals in a 5–1 win against Groningen. Two goals were from open play, and two were from penalties.

Time at PSV Eindhoven

Wijnaldum playing for PSV in 2014

On 29 June 2011, Wijnaldum moved to PSV. The transfer was reported to be worth €5 million. He played his first game for PSV on the opening day of the 2011–12 Eredivisie season. On 21 August 2011, he scored his first goal for PSV. Wijnaldum quickly became a key player for PSV, scoring goals and providing assists from midfield.

After some experienced players left in 2013, Wijnaldum became PSV's captain for the 2013–14 Eredivisie season. However, he played only 11 matches that year because of a back injury. For the 2014–15 Eredivisie season, Wijnaldum was fully fit again. 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, scoring a header in a 2–2 draw against Southampton. On 18 October, Wijnaldum scored four goals in a 6–2 home win against Norwich City. He was only the second Newcastle player to score more than three goals in a Premier League match.

He was named player of the match in a game against Liverpool, where he scored and helped force an own goal. He finished the season as Newcastle's top goalscorer. However, Newcastle was relegated to the Championship after that season.

Success at Liverpool

Wijnaldum playing for Liverpool in 2016

On 22 July 2016, Wijnaldum returned to the Premier League, signing for Liverpool. He was given the number 5 shirt.

2016–17 Season

Wijnaldum played his first Premier League game for Liverpool against Arsenal on 14 August 2016. He provided an assist in that match. He scored his first goal for the club in a 6–1 win over Watford on 6 November. On 31 December, he scored the only goal in Liverpool's 1–0 win over Manchester City. This goal was highly praised. Wijnaldum also scored in Liverpool's 3–1 win over Arsenal on 4 March 2017. In the final match of the 2016–17 Premier League season, Wijnaldum scored the first goal in Liverpool's 3–0 win over Middlesbrough. This win secured Liverpool a spot in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League.

Wijnaldum playing for Liverpool in 2017

2017–18 Season

On 28 October 2017, Wijnaldum scored his first goal of the 2017–18 season in a 3–0 win against Huddersfield Town. On 2 May 2018, he scored his first away goal for an English club since 2015. This goal came in a Champions League match against Roma, helping Liverpool reach the final. His goal also helped Liverpool break the record for most goals scored in a single Champions League season. Wijnaldum played the full 90 minutes in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final against Real Madrid, which Liverpool lost 3–1.

2018–19 Season

Wijnaldum during the victory parade after Liverpool won the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final

On 15 September 2018, Wijnaldum scored his first Premier League away goal in a 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. He made his 100th appearance for Liverpool on 29 September. On 14 April 2019, he made his 100th Premier League appearance for Liverpool.

In the Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona, Wijnaldum came on as a substitute and scored twice in two minutes. These goals helped Liverpool tie the score 3–3 on aggregate. Divock Origi then scored another goal, sending Liverpool to the final. In the final, Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–0, winning the Champions League.

2019–20 Season

Wijnaldum with Liverpool after winning the 2019 UEFA Super Cup

At the start of the 2019–20 season, Wijnaldum was a regular starter in Liverpool's midfield. He played in the 2019 FA Community Shield against Manchester City. Liverpool lost the match on penalties. He was on the bench for the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, which Liverpool won 6–5 on penalties. This was his second trophy in three months.

On 4 December 2019, Wijnaldum scored for Liverpool in a 5–2 win against Everton in the Merseyside derby. This win extended Liverpool's unbeaten run in the league to a club-record 32 matches. He was a key player as Liverpool won their first league title in 30 years. He played in all but one of the club's 38 Premier League matches, scoring four goals.

2020–21 Season

During the 2020–21 season, Wijnaldum scored 3 goals in 51 matches for Liverpool. He helped the club reach the Champions League quarter-finals and secure a spot in the competition for the next season. On 23 May 2021, Wijnaldum played his final match for Liverpool, a 2–0 win over Crystal Palace. Manager Jürgen Klopp confirmed that Wijnaldum would leave the club when his contract ended.

Time in Paris and Rome

On 7 June 2021, Wijnaldum signed a three-year contract with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). PSG reportedly offered him a much higher wage than Barcelona, who were also interested in him. The move was officially announced on 10 June. He chose the number 18 jersey.

Wijnaldum scored his first two goals for PSG in a 2–2 Champions League draw against RB Leipzig on 3 November 2021. His first Ligue 1 goal came on 4 December against Lens. By the end of the season, Wijnaldum had won the league title with Paris Saint-Germain.

On 4 August 2022, Serie A club Roma announced they had signed Wijnaldum on loan from PSG. He made his debut for Roma on 14 August. On 21 August, it was announced that Wijnaldum had broken a bone in his leg during training. He was expected to miss 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 in a 4–3 loss to Sassuolo.

Playing for Al-Ettifaq

On 2 September 2023, Wijnaldum signed a three-year contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq. Here, he rejoined his former Liverpool teammate, Jordan Henderson.

International Career

Youth Teams

Wijnaldum was a key player for the Netherlands under-17 squad in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. The team finished third in their group and did not qualify for the next stage. Soon after, Wijnaldum was chosen for the Netherlands under-19 squad. Despite his good performances, the team did not qualify for the European Under-19 Championships in 2008 and 2009.

Wijnaldum was invited to the Netherlands B squad in November 2008 but could not play due to an injury. He also received an invitation to the Netherlands under-21 squad in August 2009. Wijnaldum made his official Netherlands under-21 debut on 4 September 2009, in a match against Finland.

Wijnaldum was part of the Netherlands team at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He played three matches and scored against both Germany and Russia. The team reached the semi-finals but lost to Italy.

Wijnaldum (right) training alongside Jonathan de Guzman (left) with the Netherlands in 2015

Senior National Team

On 30 May 2011, Wijnaldum was named in the Netherlands senior squad for friendly matches. He made his international debut against San Marino on 2 September 2011. He came on as a substitute and scored the final goal in an 11–0 win.

Wijnaldum was part of the Netherlands squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played as a substitute in the first two group matches. He started his first game of the tournament in the final group match against Chile. Wijnaldum kept his place in the starting lineup for the rest of the tournament. The Netherlands reached the semi-finals but lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout. In the third-place play-off, he scored his second goal for the Netherlands as they beat host nation Brazil 3–0.

On 9 September 2018, he played his 50th match for the Netherlands. He scored in home wins against Germany and France, helping the Netherlands qualify for the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals. He played the full match in both the semi-final win against England and the final loss to Portugal. During qualification for UEFA Euro 2020, Wijnaldum was the top goalscorer for the Netherlands with eight goals. At the tournament finals, he was the team captain because Virgil van Dijk was injured. Wijnaldum scored the first goal in the Netherlands' 3–2 win over Ukraine in their opening Euro 2020 match. He scored two more goals in the final group match, a 3–0 victory over North Macedonia.

After breaking his leg in August 2022, Wijnaldum could not play for the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He returned to the squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers in March 2023. In June 2023, Wijnaldum was part of the Dutch squad for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He came on as a substitute in both the semi-final against Croatia and the third-place play-off against Italy. He scored the team's second goal in the 3–2 loss to Italy.

On 29 May 2024, Wijnaldum was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024.

Activism and Support

On 20 November 2019, after a player faced racist abuse in the Eredivisie, Wijnaldum celebrated a goal for the Netherlands against Estonia. He made a gesture towards his skin colour to show support for the player.

On 23 June 2021, Wijnaldum announced he would wear a rainbow armband during the Netherlands' UEFA Euro 2020 match against Czechia. This was to show support for the LGBT community and for German captain Manuel Neuer, who had worn a similar armband.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Feyenoord	2006–07	Eredivisie	3	0	0	0	—		0	0	—		3	0
	2007–08	Eredivisie	10	1	2	0	—		0	0	—		12	1
	2008–09	Eredivisie	33	4	3	0	—		6	1	3	0	45	5
	2009–10	Eredivisie	31	4	7	1	—		—		—		38	5
	2010–11	Eredivisie	34	14	1	0	—		2	0	—		37	14
	Total		111	23	13	1	—		8	1	3	0	135	25
PSV Eindhoven	2011–12	Eredivisie	32	8	6	2	—		12	4	—		50	14
	2012–13	Eredivisie	33	14	6	1	—		5	4	1	1	45	20
	2013–14	Eredivisie	11	4	0	0	—		4	0	—		15	4
	2014–15	Eredivisie	33	14	3	2	—		8	2	—		44	18
	Total		109	40	15	5	—		29	10	1	1	154	56
Newcastle United	2015–16	Premier League	38	11	1	0	1	0	—		—		40	11
Liverpool	2016–17	Premier League	36	6	1	0	5	0	—		—		42	6
	2017–18	Premier League	33	1	2	0	1	0	14	1	—		50	2
	2018–19	Premier League	35	3	0	0	0	0	12	2	—		47	5
	2019–20	Premier League	37	4	0	0	0	0	8	2	2	0	47	6
	2020–21	Premier League	38	2	2	1	1	0	9	0	1	0	51	3
	Total		179	16	5	1	7	0	43	5	3	0	237	22
Paris Saint-Germain	2021–22	Ligue 1	31	1	1	0	—		5	2	1	0	38	3
Roma (loan)	2022–23	Serie A	14	2	0	0	—		9	0	—		23	2
Al-Ettifaq	2023–24	Saudi Pro League	29	6	2	1	—		—		—		31	7
	2024–25	Saudi Pro League	34	14	2	0	—		—		6	1	42	15
	Total		63	20	4	1	—		—		6	1	73	22
Career total			544	113	39	8	8	0	94	18	14	2	699	141

International Appearances

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Netherlands	2011	2	1
	2012	0	0
	2013	1	0
	2014	13	1
	2015	9	2
	2016	11	3
	2017	9	1
	2018	8	2
	2019	9	8
	2020	8	3
	2021	15	5
	2022	1	0
	2023	4	1
	2024	6	1
Total		96	28

Scores and results list Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Wijnaldum goal

List of international goals scored by Georginio Wijnaldum
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2 September 2011	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	1	San Marino	11–0	11–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
2	12 July 2014	Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasília, Brazil	12	Brazil	3–0	3–0	2014 FIFA World Cup
3	12 June 2015	Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia	20	Latvia	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
4	10 October 2015	Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan	23	Kazakhstan	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
5	1 June 2016	Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland	29	Poland	2–1	2–1	Friendly
6	4 June 2016	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	30	Austria	2–0	2–0	Friendly
7	1 September 2016	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	31	Greece	1–0	1–2	Friendly
8	9 June 2017	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	40	Luxembourg	3–0	5–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
9	13 October 2018	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	51	Germany	3–0	3–0	2018–19 UEFA Nations League A
10	16 November 2018	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	52	France	1–0	2–0	2018–19 UEFA Nations League A
11	21 March 2019	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	54	Belarus	2–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
12	6 September 2019	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany	58	Germany	4–2	4–2	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
13	9 September 2019	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia	59	Estonia	4–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
14	13 October 2019	Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Belarus	61	Belarus	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
15	13 October 2019	Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Belarus	61	Belarus	2–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
16	19 November 2019	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	62	Estonia	1–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
17					3–0
18					4–0
19	15 November 2020	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	69	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1–0	3–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
20	15 November 2020	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	69	Bosnia and Herzegovina	2–0	3–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
21	18 November 2020	Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland	70	Poland	2–1	2–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
22	30 March 2021	Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar	73	Gibraltar	4–0	7–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
23	13 June 2021	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	76	Ukraine	1–0	3–2	UEFA Euro 2020
24	21 June 2021	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	78	Macedonia	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2020
25	21 June 2021	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	78	Macedonia	3–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2020
26	4 September 2021	Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands	81	Montenegro	3–0	4–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
27	18 June 2023	De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands	90	Italy	2–3	2–3	2023 UEFA Nations League Finals
28	22 March 2024	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	91	Scotland	2–0	4–0	Friendly