Euro 2020 – Who is Matthijs de Ligt's wife and does he have kids?

Matthijs de Ligt
(Image credit: PA)

Matthijs de Ligt played an unwanted integral role in the Netherlands' elimination from the European Championship on Sunday.

De Ligt performed well in the first half of the game against Czech Republic, and made a potentially goal-saving block from an Antonin Barak shot.

However, a mistake early in the second period led to De Ligt handling the ball just outside the box.

The referee, on consultation with VAR, deemed it to be a denial of a goalscoring opportunity, and De Ligt was shown a red card.

That moment was the turning point in Budapest, and Czech Republic took full advantage.

Their 2-0 victory sent them through to the quarter-finals and knocked the Dutch out of Euro 2020.

De Ligt will no doubt be feeling low this week, but he is a good enough player to bounce back from the disappointment.

Indeed, it was his return to the team in the group stage that saw the Netherlands tighten up defensively following their 3-2 victory over Ukraine in their opening encounter.

De Ligt will soon be turning his attention back to the club game, where he is about to start his third season as a Juventus player.

The 21-year-old no doubt has a holiday lined up before then, with his partner Annekee Molenaar set to accompany him.

Molenaar is a Dutch model. The couple began dating in 2018, when De Ligt was still plying his trade for Ajax. They do not have any children together.

The centre-back is widely seen as one of the most promising young players in world football.

He first came to prominence during Ajax's thrilling run to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2018/19.

The Dutch giants were just seconds away from reaching the final, only for Lucas Moura to score a late goal for Tottenham to send the north London side through.

De Ligt has won 30 caps for the Netherlands since his international bow in 2017.

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