Mateusz Klich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mateusz Klich

Klich with Atlanta United in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Mateusz Andrzej Klich
Date of birth	(1990-06-13) 13 June 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth	Tarnów, Poland
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Atlanta United
Number	43
Youth career
1999–2003	Tarnovia Tarnów
2003–2007	Cracovia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2011	Cracovia	56	(5)
2011–2013	VfL Wolfsburg II	12	(1)
2012–2013	→ PEC Zwolle (loan)	13	(2)
2013–2014	PEC Zwolle	30	(4)
2014–2015	VfL Wolfsburg II	6	(3)
2015–2016	1. FC Kaiserslautern	21	(4)
2015–2016	1. FC Kaiserslautern II	4	(0)
2016–2017	Twente	29	(6)
2017–2023	Leeds United	177	(21)
2018	→ Utrecht (loan)	16	(1)
2023–2024	D.C. United	63	(6)
2025–	Atlanta United	16	(0)
International career‡
2008	Poland U18	5	(0)
2008	Poland U19	1	(0)
2010–2011	Poland U20	2	(0)
2010–2012	Poland U21	9	(2)
2011–2022	Poland	41	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:42, 6 July 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 September 2022

Mateusz Andrzej Klich (born 13 June 1990) is a Polish professional football player. He plays as a midfielder for the Major League Soccer club Atlanta United.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Cracovia

Mateusz Klich was born in Tarnów, Poland. He started his professional football journey in November 2008. He played for Cracovia and slowly became a regular player in their team.

Moving to Wolfsburg

In June 2011, Klich joined Bundesliga team VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. Wolfsburg paid about €1.5 million for him. This made him the most expensive player ever sold by Cracovia at that time.

Success with PEC Zwolle

Klich was loaned to the Dutch club PEC Zwolle. Later, he joined them permanently. While at Zwolle, he helped the team win the 2013–14 KNVB Cup in April 2014. They beat Ajax 5–1 in the final! This win also helped Zwolle qualify for the Europa League.

Back to Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg bought Klich back in June 2014. However, he found it hard to get playing time. There were many strong midfielders like Kevin De Bruyne already in the team. So, he mostly played for their reserve team.

Playing for FC Kaiserslautern

In January 2015, Klich moved to 1. FC Kaiserslautern, a club in Germany's second division. He signed a contract to play there until 2018.

Time at FC Twente

On August 26, 2016, Klich joined Eredivisie team FC Twente in the Netherlands. He quickly made his debut and scored his first goal for the club in October 2016. In his first season, he scored six goals and helped Twente finish seventh in the league.

Joining Leeds United

In June 2017, Klich signed a three-year deal with the English club Leeds United. He made his first team debut in August. However, he didn't play much at first. He felt that an unlucky slip during a game led to him being dropped from the team.

Loan to FC Utrecht

In January 2018, Klich was loaned to FC Utrecht in the Netherlands. He quickly found his good form again. He helped create many chances for his team. In one game, he created 11 chances, which was the most in the Eredivisie since 2012! He also scored his first goal for Utrecht in May 2018. Klich helped Utrecht finish 5th and qualify for the Europa League playoffs. He said he was "99% sure" he would return to Leeds because he had "unfinished business."

Returning to Leeds United

Klich returned to Leeds and impressed the new coach, Marcelo Bielsa. He scored his first league goal for Leeds in the very first game of the 2018–19 season. He continued to score, getting three goals in his first five games. This great start led to him being called up to the Poland squad again after four years!

In April 2019, Klich scored a goal against Aston Villa. This goal caused a lot of discussion because an opposing player was injured on the ground. The Leeds coach, Marcelo Bielsa, then told his team to let Aston Villa score an unchallenged goal to make things fair. Klich also won the Leeds United Goal of the Season award for a different goal. He scored 10 goals and made nine assists that season. He was the only player to play in every league game for Leeds.

Winning the Championship

In the 2019–20 season, Klich continued to be a key player. He signed a new contract with Leeds in November 2019. He had started every league game since Marcelo Bielsa became manager in 2018. In July 2020, Klich and Leeds United won the EFL Championship. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League, the top football league in England!

Playing in the Premier League

Klich made his Premier League debut in September 2020 against Liverpool. He scored a goal in that exciting match. He continued to play well, scoring and assisting in other games. In the 2021–22 season, he scored one goal and made two assists.

Leaving Leeds United

In the 2022–23 season, Klich played 16 matches. His last game for Leeds was on January 4, 2023. After the game, his teammates wore shirts with his face on them and formed a "guard of honour" to say goodbye. Klich was very emotional as he left the field.

Mateusz Klich with Atlanta United in 2025

Joining D.C. United

On January 12, 2023, Klich joined Major League Soccer club D.C. United in the United States. He signed a two-year contract. He scored in his very first game for D.C. United in February.

Playing for Atlanta United

On December 20, 2024, Klich was traded to Atlanta United from D.C. United. He is currently playing for Atlanta United.

International Career

Mateusz Klich made his debut for the Poland national team on June 5, 2011. It was a friendly match against Argentina, and Poland won 2–1. He scored his first goal for Poland in August 2013 in another friendly match against Denmark.

In August 2018, Klich was called up to the Poland squad again after four years. This was because he was playing so well for Leeds United. He played in a UEFA Nations League match against Italy. A few days later, he scored an equalizer in a friendly match against Republic of Ireland. In May 2021, Klich was chosen to be part of Poland's team for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

Personal Life

Mateusz Klich comes from a family of athletes. His father, Wojciech Klich, was also a professional footballer. His mother, Małgorzata, was a PE teacher and won a bronze medal in Polish championships for swimming. His sister, Maja, is also a swimmer.

In November 2018, Mateusz and his partner welcomed their first child, a daughter named Laura.

Leeds United fans have a special song for Klich called '40 Yards or 50 yards'. It's based on the song "Rotterdam" by The Beautiful South.

Career Statistics Summary

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Scores and results list Poland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Klich goal.

List of international goals scored by Mateusz Klich

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	14 August 2013	PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland	Denmark	1–0	3–2	Friendly
2.	11 September 2018	Stadion Miejski, Wrocław, Poland	Republic of Ireland	1–1	1–1

Awards and Achievements

PEC Zwolle

• KNVB Cup: 2013–14 (Winner)

Leeds United

• EFL Championship: 2019–20 (Champions)

Individual Awards

• Leeds United Goal of the Season: 2018–19