Jannik Vestergaard was born on 3 August 1992 in Odense, Denmark. He came through the youth ranks at Silkeborg IF and later SC Freiburg's academy in Germany before establishing himself as a Bundesliga centre-back. Werder Bremen and Borussia Mönchengladbach developed him further, and his height, aerial dominance and reading of the game made him a reliable option at the highest domestic level.
Southampton signed him in 2018 for around £ 18 million, and he spent three and a half seasons on the south coast. A move to Leicester City followed in summer 2021, where under Brendan Rodgers his composed defending and set-piece threat were valuable assets. He faced injury interruptions but remained part of the Premier League fabric through a difficult period for Leicester.
After the Premier League, Vestergaard moved on to clubs at various levels — his career arc reflecting the normal trajectory of a centre-back reaching his early thirties. At the time of the 2026 World Cup he was in the later stages of his professional career, with his experience and aerial presence still making him an option in Denmark's defensive rotation.
For Denmark he debuted in 2013 and has been a long-serving defensive option, part of the Euro 2020 squad that reached the semi-finals, and continuing through Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. His experience and set-piece threat give Denmark a different dimension centrally.
Standing 1.98 m, Vestergaard is one of the tallest defenders in European international football — an imposing aerial presence in both penalty areas who reads the game intelligently. He is a distinctive, veteran figure in Danish football.