Ruben Kluivert

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Ruben Kluivert
Ruben Kluivert 1 (06-09-2022).jpg
Kluivert with Utrecht in 2022
Personal information
Full name Ruben Caine Kluivert [1]
Date of birth (2001-05-21) 21 May 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)
Team information
Current team
 Lyon
Number 21
Youth career
–2018 AFC
2018–2020 Utrecht
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2023 Jong Utrecht 52 (2)
2022–2023 Utrecht 14 (0)
2023–2024 Dordrecht 20 (0)
2024–2025 Casa Pia 21 (1)
2025– Lyon 10 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 1 February 2026

Ruben Caine Kluivert (born 21 May 2001) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for Ligue 1 club Lyon.

Contents

Career

Early years

Born in Amsterdam, Kluivert began playing as a youth for local club AFC before moving to Utrecht, where he made his senior debut with the reserve team in the Eerste Divisie. In December 2019, at the age of 18, Kluivert signed his first professional contract with FC Utrecht, initially running until 2022. [2] On 16 March 2022, he extended his contract until 2024 with an option for an additional season. [3] He made his first-team debut on 11 May 2022 in the Eredivisie as an added-time substitute for Willem Janssen in a 2–2 home draw with AZ. [4]

In September 2023, after five seasons at Utrecht, he left the club due to limited first-team prospects as judged by the technical management. [5]

FC Dordrecht (2023-2024)

On 1 September 2023, Kluivert signed a two-year contract with Dordrecht. [6]

Casa Pia (2024-2025)

In late June 2024, he joined Primeira Liga side Casa Pia. [7] During the 2024–2025 season, he played 24 matches (21 in the league and 3 in cup competitions) [8] and scored his first professional goal on 25 October 2024 in a 1–0 victory over Nacional. [9]

Olympique lyonnais (since 2025)

On 25 July 2025, Kluivert joined Ligue 1 side Lyon for a fee of €3.78 million and signed a contract until June 2030. [10]

2025-2026 season

His early months in France were marked by adaptation difficulties. Initially deployed as a right-back, he faced criticism for his inexperience and committed several defensive errors. [11] On 2 October 2025, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 win over RB Salzburg in the Europa League. [12] [13] His situation shifted in January 2026. Taking advantage of the absences of Moussa Niakhaté and Clinton Mata (both away at the AFCON), he was repositioned to his natural role as a centre-back. He became a fixture in Paulo Fonseca's starting eleven, contributing to a streak of eight consecutive victories, notably against AS Monaco, LOSC Lille, and Young Boys Berne in European competition. [14] However, his performances remained marked by lapses in concentration. [15] On 25 January 2026, during a 5–2 win against FC Metz, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal but also committed a direct turnover error that led to an opposition goal. [16] On 2 February 2026, he was named for the first time in the L'Équipe Team of the Day following a 1–0 victory over Lille. [17] In early February 2026, he suffered an injury that sidelined him for several matches. [18]

Style of play

Kluivert is a versatile defender capable of playing as a centre-back or lateral. [14] He is distinguished by his pace and physical strength in duels. [8] [11] While he is effective in offensive heading situations, his profile is noted for lapses in concentration and technical inconsistency in his clearances. [15]

Personal life

Kluivert hails from a footballing family. His grandfather Kenneth played for Surinamese team Robinhood and moved to the Netherlands in 1970. His father, Patrick, played for European clubs including Ajax and Barcelona, and was a long-time Dutch international. [19] His older brother Justin is also a professional footballer for AFC Bournemouth and the Netherlands. [20] He has two younger brothers, Quincy and Shane, who play for Zeeburgia and Barcelona U18 respectively. [21]

Career statistics

As of match played 1 February 2026 [22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] ContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Jong Utrecht 2019–20 Eerste Divisie 20–––20
2020–21 Eerste Divisie211–––211
2021–22 Eerste Divisie161–––161
2022–23 Eerste Divisie130–––130
Total522–––522
Utrecht 2021–22 Eredivisie 1000–0010
2022–23 Eredivisie13010––140
Total14010––150
Dordrecht 2023–24 Eerste Divisie20000—2 [b] 0220
Casa Pia 2024–25 Primeira Liga 21130——241
Lyon 2025–26 Ligue 1 101206 [c] 1–182
Career total11944061201315
  1. ↑ Includes KNVB Cup, Taça de Portugal
  2. ↑ Appearances in Eerste Divisie promotion play-off
  3. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

References

  1. ↑ "Ruben Caine Kluivert". ligue1.com. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  2. ↑ Espn (14 December 2019). "Ruben becomes third Kluivert to turn professional, signs deal with FC Utrecht". ESPN.com. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "Nieuw FC Utrecht-contract voor Ruben Kluivert". FC Utrecht. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  4. ↑ "Liveblog: Douvikas maakt in extremis gelijk voor FC Utrecht tegen AZ" (in Dutch). RTV Utrecht. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "Ruben Kluivert vervolgt loopbaan bij FC Dordrecht". FC Utrecht. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "FC Dordrecht versterkt zich met Ruben Kluivert" [FC Dordrecht strengthens itself with Ruben Kluivert] (in Dutch). Dordrecht. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Mário Rui Ventura (27 June 2024). "Confirmado: Filho de Patrick Kluivert vai ser reforço do Casa Pia | Flashscore.pt". www.flashscore.pt (in Portuguese).
  8. 1 2 "Jeune, rapide, abordable : Ruben Kluivert, une allégorie du mercato de l'OL". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  9. ↑ "Casa Pia 1–0 C.D. Nacional". ESPN. 25 October 2024.
  10. ↑ "Arrivée de Ruben Kluivert à l'OL jusqu'en 2030" (in French). Olympique Lyonnais. 25 June 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Ligue 1 : Kluivert s'est fait une place à Lyon". lanouvellerepublique.fr (in French). 24 January 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  12. ↑ Pickering, Andrew (3 October 2025). "Satriano and Kluivert lead Lyon past RB Salzburg". Tribal Football.
  13. ↑ "Patrick peut fanfaronner : ses trois fils Justin, Ruben et Shane Kluivert ont tous marqué cette semaine". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  14. 1 2 "« C'est un autre joueur maintenant, plein de confiance » : Ruben Kluivert peut-il bousculer la hiérarchie en défense centrale à l'OL ?". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Un travail "mental" et "psychologique" : l'OL peut-il vraiment faire confiance à Ruben Kluivert ?". www.eurosport.fr. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "Ligue 1. Les tops et flops de Metz – OL : la tornade Endrick voit triple, encore un cadeau défensif". www.leprogres.fr (in French). 25 January 2026. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  17. ↑ "L'équipe type de la 20e journée de Ligue 1 : la renaissance monégasque et plein de petits nouveaux". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  18. ↑ Berkane, Hanif Ben (6 February 2026). "OL : encore de grosses absences face à Nantes". Foot Mercato : Info Transferts Football - Actu Foot Transfert (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  19. ↑ "Patrick Kluivert: Former Barcelona striker rejoins club as academy director". BBC Sport. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  20. ↑ "Justin Kluivert joins RB Leipzig on loan". RB Leipzig. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  21. ↑ Hendrix, Hale (20 July 2024). "Who is Justin Kluivert? The Legacy of Patrick Kluivert's Son". Football Biography. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  22. ↑ Ruben Kluivert at Soccerway. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
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