Kluivert played for theNetherlands national team from 1994 to 2004. With 40 goals in 79 appearances, he is the fourth highest goalscorer for the Oranje. He played in threeEuropean Championships and the1998 FIFA World Cup, and was joint top scorer atEuro 2000, where he scored five goals. In 2004, he was named in theFIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers chosen byPelé as part ofFIFA's centenary observances.
Kluivert began his coaching career as an assistant atAZ andNEC, as well as inAustralia with theBrisbane Roar, before managingJong Twente to a national title in the Dutchreserves league.[9] He was an assistant toLouis van Gaal with the Dutch team that finished third at the2014 FIFA World Cup inBrazil. In 2015, he took over as head coach of theCuraçao national team for the country's2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying and the2017 Caribbean Cup qualifying campaigns. He then served as asporting director forParis Saint-Germain, as well as coaching theAjax A1 (under-19) team in 2016 and assistingClarence Seedorf for theCameroon national team in 2018. Only days after leaving Cameroon in July 2019, he served as the academy director of FC Barcelona until his brief return to Curaçao as interim coach on May 2021. Two years later, Kluivert also served as head coach of Turkish side Adana Demirspor before becoming head coach of Indonesia on January 2025, although his tenure was ended by mutual consent after nine month in charge.
Kluivert was born on 1 July 1976 inAmsterdam, Netherlands. His father,Kenneth Kluivert, was a professional football player fromSuriname, and his mother was born inCuraçao.[10] Kluivert learned to play football on the street. After a year at football clubSchellingwoude, he joined theAjax Youth Academy at the age of seven.
He played several different positions as a youth, includingdefender. He was strong in technique, football intelligence, and speed, but was considered too impulsive.[11] Kluivert played for the Dutch national teams under-15, under-16 and under-17.[11]
The 1994–95 season also saw Kluivert make his mark – along with a host of youngsters from the Ajax youth academy, includingEdgar Davids,Clarence Seedorf andEdwin van der Sar – on the European stage with a triumph in theUEFA Champions League. Kluivert came off the bench to score an 85th-minute winner in the1995 Champions League Final againstAC Milan inVienna, Austria. He was the youngest player to score in a Champions League final, being only 18 years, 10 months and 23 days.[12]
He was again the top scorer for Ajax in1995–96, with 15 goals in 28 appearances, as the club won five trophies, including theEredivisie. He scored the winning goal in extra time of the season openingDutch Supercup against Feyenoord, and also scored the team's away goal in the 5–1 aggregate win overReal Zaragoza in the1995 UEFA Super Cup.
At the end of an injury hit1996–97 season, in which he made only 17 league appearances, Kluivert joinedAC Milan on aBosman transfer, after rejecting Ajax's offer of a new contract.[12] He ended his spell in Amsterdam with 39 goals in 70 Eredivisie matches.
Kluivert's career at Milan started well, with the striker scoring a sensational goal againstJuventus in theTrofeo Luigi Berlusconi. However, he spent only one season at theSan Siro, scoring six times in 27Serie A matches,[12] as the Rossoneri finished in tenth place.[14]
On 28 August 1998, an hour before the transfer deadline, Kluivert signed a four-year contract withBarcelona for a fee of £8.75 million.[15] Kluivert was reunited withLouis van Gaal, a mentor from his days at Ajax. Kluivert scored 16 league goals and formed a successful partnership withRivaldo, which enabled Barça to defend the SpanishLa Liga in1998–99.[12] The following season was also a successful one for Kluivert. Although Barcelona failed to win a third consecutive league title, Kluivert finished the season as the club's top scorer with 15 league goals.[16] Kluivert went on to be the top scorer twice more in his next four seasons atCamp Nou, but the team endured a period of five years without a major trophy after their title success in 1999.
In the summer of 2004, Kluivert was one of four Dutch players released by Barcelona. He ended his career at Barça with 124 goals from 249 appearances.[8]
Kluivert joinedNewcastle United on a free transfer in July 2004.[17] He stated that his reasons for joining Newcastle was due to the overwhelming reaction he received whilst playing for Barcelona against Newcastle during a pre season friendly, as well as teaming up with Newcastle's star players, such asAlan Shearer.[17] Kluivert scored some classy and crucial goals at home and away fromSt James' Park, namely in winning strikes against bothChelsea[18] andTottenham Hotspur in theFA Cup, with both games ending 1–0 to Newcastle.[19] He also scored away againstOlympiakos in a 3–1 win in the first leg of the round of 16 of theUEFA Cup. Kluivert eventually scored five goals in all in that season's competition.[20][21] Altogether, he scored 13 goals in his debut season, being Newcastle's overall second highest goal scorer for the2004–05 season. Despite these feats, Kluivert was released by Newcastle in the summer of 2005.[22][23]
Kluivert decided to return to Spain to play at theMestalla forValencia. During the2005–06 season, Valencia finished third in La Liga, thus qualifying for the Champions League after a one-season absence. Kluivert played for a total of 202 minutes, as he spent most of the season injured.[24][25][26]
Despite widespread rumours that Kluivert was to return home toJohan Cruyff Arena, Kluivert's return to theEredivisie was to be withPSV, with whom he signed a one-year deal in 2006. Just as with his debut for Ajax, Kluivert made his PSV debut against Feyenoord in a 2–1 win, coming on as a substitute. After that, he had two injuries during the first half of the season, which limited his playing time. In a game against Ajax at thePhilips Stadion, Kluivertrefused to celebrate after scoring a goal against his former club. He was eventually released in July 2007.
Kluivert made his full international debut on 16 November 1994 in a European qualifier against theCzech Republic, replacingYouri Mulder after 13 minutes of a 0–0 draw in Rotterdam.[28] In his second match, on 29 March 1995, he replacedRonald de Boer after 77 minutes, and seven minutes later scored his first international goal to wrap up a 4–0 home qualifying win overMalta.[29]
In December 1995, Kluivert scored both goals in the Netherlands' 2–0UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying play-off win over theRepublic of Ireland atAnfield, to qualify the Oranje forUEFA Euro 1996.[30] Kluivert missed most of the tournament with a knee injury, but he scored against the host nationEngland, enabling the Netherlands to qualify for the knock-out round overScotland on goals scored.[31] There, they lost in a penalty shootout toFrance after a 0–0 draw.[32]
At the1998 FIFA World Cup, Kluivert wassent off againstBelgium by refereePierluigi Collina, after elbowingLorenzo Staelens. He made amends when selected to play againstArgentina in the quarter-finals of the same tournament, where he scored the opening goal.[33] In the next round, he scored a late equalising goal from a header to draw his team level withBrazil in the semi-final, although the Netherlands went on to lose the penalty shootout.[34]
AtUEFA Euro 2000 held in the Netherlands and Belgium, Kluivert scored a hat-trick in the 6–1 quarter-final demolition ofYugoslavia; he was originally credited with four goals, but the third was later re-attributed as an own goal by Yugoslavia'sDejan Govedarica, after Kluivert admitted not getting a touch onPaul Bosvelt's cross. Had all four goals stood, Kluivert would have been the first player to score four times in a European Championship match.[35] The Dutch were eliminated in the semi-finals byItaly on penalties; he missed one of their two spot-kicks in normal time, but did score in the penalty shoot-out.[36] With five goals in as many games, he claimed the Golden Boot jointly withSavo Milošević.[37]
Kluivert would once again enterUEFA Euro 2004 wearing the famous #9 jersey for his country, with the Dutch reaching the semi-finals of the tournament.[38]
As well as from being left out of the2006 FIFA World Cup squad by coachMarco van Basten, Kluivert was not called up to play in any of the qualifying games leading up to the World Cup either. This was due to the fact that he suffered persistent injuries, which prevented him from playing for his club during the 2005-06 season. Kluivert was the all-time leadinggoalscorer for the Dutch national team with 40 goals, until he was surpassed byRobin van Persie in 2013.[39]
Although tall in stature, Kluivert possessed quick feet and an impressive first touch. Similar to Brazilian footballerRonaldo, he often used severalfeints, namely theCruyff turn, to great effect togo past defenders, due to his pace, strong technical skills, close control and football intelligence. Kluivert also utilised his height, power and strong physique to dominate aerial balls, and was considered to possess one of the best headers in the then-contemporary game. A versatile player, with an eye for goal, he also possessed good vision, and was capable of playing in several other positions across the pitch. Despite his ability, he drew criticism for his character and attitude throughout his career.[11][40][41][42]
On 29 April 2008, Dutch media reported that Kluivert would take part in the coaching course of the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) to become a professional football coach.[43] TheKNVB requires that all coaching badge candidates complete this sort of apprenticeship.
On 18 July 2008, it was reported on the football websiteGoal that Kluivert would be spending the 2008–09 season as a member of the backroom coaching staff ofEredivisie clubAZ. Later on, in an interview onSoccer AM, Kluivert revealed his role involved coaching the strikers at AZ.
On 19 May 2010, Kluivert told journalists he ruled out a comeback as a football player.[45] From August 2010 onwards, he was an assistant coach forNEC, coaching the strikers. In the 2011–12 season, he moved on and took charge of theTwente youth and reserve team, coachingJong Twente to a national title in theBeloften Eredivisie.
In August 2012, Kluivert joined the Netherlands national team coaching staff to work under head coachLouis van Gaal.[46][47] Kluivert's time with the Netherlands culminated with a third-place finish in the2014 FIFA World Cup campaign.
On 5 March 2015, it was announced that Kluivert would take over as manager of theCuraçao national football team for the2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.[48] Curaçao progressed through the first two qualifying rounds, defeatingMontserrat andCuba.[49] On 8 September 2015, Curaçao were eliminated in the2018 FIFA World Cup third qualifying round byEl Salvador, losing 2–0 on aggregate score.[50] Having helped the country to their best performance yet in World Cup qualifying, Kluivert announced his resignation as head coach on 10 September 2015. While pursuing other ventures, he remains a close advisor to theCuraçao Football Federation.[51] On 24 February 2016, Kluivert announced his decision to remain head coach of Curaçao ahead of the teams'Caribbean Cup qualifying matches against theDominican Republic andBarbados.[52] On 2 May 2016, it was announced that Kluivert would take over as head coach of theAjax A1 (under-19) selection ahead of the 2016–17 season, where he would coach his sonJustin Kluivert, with the team having secured placement in theUEFA Youth League the previous year.[53] Following his announcement to join Ajax, Kluivert remained head coach of Curaçao for round two of the Caribbean Cup qualifiers, where they facedGuyana and theU.S. Virgin Islands in group three. Curaçao won both their matches at home, defeating Guyana 5–2 and the U.S. Virgin Islands 7–0 in his final match in charge.[54] On 14 July 2016, it was announced that Kluivert would no longer coach the under-19 team of Ajax, but that he would instead take over the position as director of football for French clubParis Saint-Germain. He expressed that his intention was to stay with Ajax, but that he could not refuse the offer made by PSG.[55]
His efforts for the national team of Curaçao did not go without merit, as the team secured qualification for both the2017 Caribbean Cup and the2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where they would compete for the first time in forty years under the guidance ofRemko Bicentini and Kluivert.[56]
Kluivert became the academy director ofBarcelona only days after leaving Cameroon.[59] However, the club announced in March 2021 that his contract would be allowed to expire in June.[60]
In May 2021, Kluivert returned to the Curaçao national team on an interim basis, while compatriotGuus Hiddink recovered fromCOVID-19.[61] In July, the team withdrew from the2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, due to an outbreak of the same virus.[62]
On 30 June 2023, Turkish clubAdana Demirspor announced the appointment of Kluivert as their new manager by signing a two-year contract.[63] On 4 December 2023, he parted ways with Adana Demirspor by mutual agreement.[64]
During thefourth round of the Asian qualifiers, Indonesia suffered narrow defeats, a 2–3 loss toSaudi Arabia, in which the team were awarded two penalties, and a 0–1 loss toIraq. The results ended Indonesia's hopes of qualifying for their first World Cup since1938, with the team finishing bottom of their fourth round qualification group.[67][68]
On 16 October 2025, the PSSI decided to end their contract with Kluivert and his coaching staffs by mutual agreement.[69]
On 9 September 1995, Kluivert, then 19 years old and still playing for Ajax, was the driver in a car accident in Amsterdam, in which a 56-year-old man was killed and a passenger was seriously injured in a collision. Kluivert collided with aFord Orion saloon while driving an uninsuredBMW M3 sports car he had borrowed from a friend at a speed of approximately 104 km/h (64 mph) while in a 50 km/h (31 mph) residential zone. Though he denied a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, he was found guilty in court and sentenced to 240 hours of community service.[73][74] The conviction meant that Kluivert needed special documentation to enter the United States whenBarcelona played pre-season matches there in 2003.[75]
He has four children—Quincy,Justin,Ruben andShane. Justin, like his father, came through the Ajax youth setup, formerly played for Valencia and was capped for the Netherlands; he now plays forPremier League clubBournemouth.[76][77]
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