Frenkie de Jong was born on 12 May 1997 in Arkel, Netherlands. He came through Willem II's youth system and was signed by Ajax in 2015, where he developed into one of the most cerebral young midfielders in European football. With Ajax he won the Eredivisie and KNVB Beker in 2018–19, and his elegant ball-carrying performances in their UEFA Champions League semi-final run that season established him as a global star.
In summer 2019 Barcelona signed De Jong for around €75 million. Over six seasons at the Catalan giants he has won La Liga in 2022–23 and 2024–25, the Copa del Rey in 2020–21 and 2024–25, and the Spanish Super Cup multiple times. The 2024–25 season was a strong one with 28 La Liga matches and 2 league goals; the 2025–26 campaign has been even more productive: 23 La Liga matches with a goal and 5 assists, plus 8 UEFA Champions League appearances and contributions in the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
A two-footed central midfielder with elite ball-control, vision, progressive passing and the composure to dictate tempo from deep, De Jong is the modern embodiment of the Dutch positional game. He is one of the senior leaders of the Netherlands national team and has been a starter at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2024 European Championship and across Nations League and 2026 World Cup qualifying campaigns. His technical class is at the very top of the international midfield ladder.