Toby Alderweireld facts for kids
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Alderweireld with Tottenham Hotspur in 2020
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 March 1989 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Antwerp, Belgium | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Germinal Ekeren | |||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | Germinal Beerschot | |||||||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2013 | Ajax | 128 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Atlético Madrid | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | →Southampton (loan) | 26 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2021 | Tottenham Hotspur | 174 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Al-Duhail | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | Royal Antwerp | 103 | (13) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 463 | (30) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Belgium U15 | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Belgium U16 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Belgium U17 | 17 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Belgium U18 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Belgium U19 | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Belgium U21 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2022 | Belgium | 127 | (5) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld (born on March 2, 1989) is a Belgian former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a key defensive position in football.
Toby Alderweireld started his professional career at the Dutch club Ajax. There, he won many awards, including three Eredivisie titles in a row. In 2013, he moved to Atlético Madrid in Spain. He helped them win La Liga and reach the UEFA Champions League final in his first season. After a year on loan at Southampton in England, he joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2015. With Tottenham, he reached the Champions League final again in 2019.
He left Tottenham in 2021 and played for Al-Duhail in Qatar for one season. In 2022, he returned to Belgium to play for his hometown club, Royal Antwerp. He helped them win the Belgian Pro League in his first season, scoring the goal that secured the title. Toby Alderweireld retired from professional football at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Toby also played for the Belgian national team from 2009 to 2022. He played in 127 matches for his country. He represented Belgium in the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He also played in the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and 2020.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Ajax
Toby Alderweireld was born in Antwerp, Belgium. He joined the Ajax youth academy in August 2004. On February 22, 2007, he signed his first professional contract. He joined the first team for the 2008–09 season. His first game for the senior team was on January 18, 2009, in a 4–2 win against NEC. He also played his first European game in the UEFA Cup in February 2009. Even though he played only a few games that season, he received a new contract until 2014.
In the 2009–10 season, Toby became a regular player in the starting team. He formed a strong partnership with fellow Belgian player Jan Vertonghen in defense. On September 4, he scored his first league goal for Ajax against Heracles. He was named Ajax Talent of the Year at the end of the season.
Toby continued to score important goals. In November 2011, he scored Ajax's 100th UEFA Champions League goal. In the 2010–11 season, he scored a great goal from 25 yards against Milan. He then scored an even more impressive goal from 32 yards against Feyenoord.
In the 2011–12 season, Toby improved a lot as a player. He and Jan Vertonghen became a very strong defensive pair. He also scored a notable goal against Heerenveen.
The 2012–13 season was very successful for Toby. He played in the Champions League for the third year in a row. He also won his third straight Eredivisie title with Ajax. He scored three more goals that season, including one in the Europa League against Steaua București.
Toby decided not to extend his contract with Ajax, which meant he would leave the club.
Moving to Atlético Madrid
On September 2, 2013, Toby Alderweireld joined Atlético Madrid in Spain. He signed a four-year contract. He played 12 matches as Atlético won La Liga, the top Spanish league. He scored his only goal for the club on May 11, a header that helped Atlético stay in the title race. Toby also played in the final minutes of the 2014 Champions League final. Atlético lost the match to their city rivals, Real Madrid.
Loan to Southampton
Toby was loaned to the English club Southampton for the 2014–15 season. He made his debut on September 13, helping Southampton keep a clean sheet in a 4–0 win. On December 26, he scored his first goal for Southampton against Crystal Palace. Southampton had an option to buy him, but Atlético Madrid decided to sell him to another club instead.
Joining Tottenham Hotspur
On July 8, 2015, Toby Alderweireld signed a five-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur. At Tottenham, he joined his former Ajax teammates Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen. He played his first game for Tottenham on July 30, 2015.
First Season with Spurs (2015–16)
On September 26, Toby scored his first goal for Tottenham in a 4–1 win against Manchester City. He scored again in November against West Ham United. In March 2016, he scored in the North London Derby against Arsenal, which ended in a 2–2 draw. A month later, he scored against Manchester United.
During his first season, Toby was seen as one of the best defenders in the Premier League. He formed a strong partnership with Jan Vertonghen. Tottenham had one of the best defensive records in the league that season. He was also chosen for the PFA Team of the Year, which recognizes the best players in the league.
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Later Years at Tottenham (2016–2021)
In the 2016–17 season, Toby was a regular player until he got injured in October. He returned to play in December. He scored Tottenham's final goal of the season in a big 7–1 win against Hull City. Tottenham also had their best defensive record in club history that season.
Toby played in many games at the start of the 2017–18 season. However, he suffered a hamstring injury in November 2017, which kept him out for several months. He returned in February 2018 but got another injury soon after. He came back to the team in April.
In the 2018–19 season, Toby became a regular player for Tottenham again. In January 2019, his contract was extended until 2020. He signed another contract extension until 2023 in December 2019. In February 2020, he scored his first goal since May 2017, helping Tottenham win against Aston Villa. In July 2020, he scored a late winning goal against Arsenal in a North London derby.
On January 2, 2021, Toby scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season in a 3–0 win against Leeds United.
Playing for Al-Duhail
On July 27, 2021, Toby Alderweireld joined Qatar Stars League club Al-Duhail. He played 29 games for the team during the 2021–22 season. He scored one goal in the Emir of Qatar Cup, which Al-Duhail won.
Returning to Royal Antwerp
On July 15, 2022, Toby Alderweireld joined Belgian First Division A club Royal Antwerp on a three-year deal. On April 30, 2023, he won the Belgian Cup with Antwerp. Just over a month later, on June 4, he scored a dramatic goal in the 94th minute of the final match of the season. This goal secured a 2–2 draw against Genk and handed Royal Antwerp their first league title in 66 years.
On August 30, 2023, he helped the club reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever. This happened after a 3–1 win over AEK Athens.
On November 18, 2024, Toby Alderweireld announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the 2024–25 season. He had already retired from international football the previous year. He said he was looking forward to retirement but also had ambition to help Antwerp.
On March 16, 2025, Toby suffered a quadriceps injury during a match against Standard Liège. This injury meant he would miss most of the championship playoffs. He expressed his sadness but also his determination to play one more time for his club. He returned to action on May 17, 2025, for Antwerp's second-to-last playoff match. Later that month, on May 29, he made his final home appearance in a European competition playoff match.
International Career
Toby Alderweireld first played for Belgium at the under-17 level in October 2005. He made his senior debut for Belgium in a friendly tournament on May 29, 2009. His full senior debut came three months later against the Czech Republic. He was part of the squads for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
He also played for the Belgian U21 squad. He played as a right back in a 2012 UEFA Euro qualification match against Turkey in September 2010.
On May 13, 2014, Toby was chosen for the squad to go to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in all five of Belgium's games, including their quarter-final match. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he won a bronze medal with Belgium after they beat England 2–0. On September 8, 2020, Toby played his 100th match for Belgium in a 5–1 win against Iceland.
On March 6, 2023, he announced his retirement from international football.
Personal Life
Toby Alderweireld married Shani Van Mieghem on June 19, 2015. They have two children. Their daughter, Ayla, was born in September 2018. Their son, Jace, was born in February 2020.
Honours and Awards
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
- KNVB Cup: 2009–10
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2013
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2013–14
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2013–14
Tottenham Hotspur
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2020–21
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2018–19
Al-Duhail
- Emir of Qatar Cup: 2022
Antwerp
- Belgian Pro League: 2022–23
- Belgian Cup: 2022–23
- Belgian Super Cup: 2023
Belgium
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2018
Individual Awards
- Ajax Talent of the Year: 2010
- PFA Team of the Year: 2015–16 Premier League
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2015–16
- Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Belgian Golden Shoe: 2023
- Belgian Goal of the Year: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Toby Alderweireld para niños
