Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt, who turns 27 on Wednesday, is in a new relationship with Dutch model Amber Yuusef, months after his reported split from wife AnneKee Molenaar. The couple were seen kissing in Ibiza earlier this summer, with images circulating on social media.
De Ligt Confirms Romance
Addressing the speculation, De Ligt said: "Normally I never feel the need to respond, but I do this time. In this day and age, we know that anything can be faked. And that is the case with this screenshot as well. Amber and I are getting to know each other better, and we would like to do that in privacy."
The news comes nearly 12 months after De Ligt and Molenaar, 26, parted ways. They married in 2024 in an intimate ceremony, having planned a larger celebration in Italy last summer, but Dutch publication DenD reported the festivities were called off at the eleventh hour.
Split Details Emerge
According to DenD, De Ligt flew to Barbados without Molenaar following a solitary week in Ibiza, with a source confirming the union had ended. The publication reported: "Earlier, there was talk about 'some time for themselves' and going on vacation separately, but it is now reportedly definitely over. Matthijs is said to have left for Ibiza alone this week and was in Barbados for this."
Per Realityfbi, De Ligt had grown frustrated by his wife's spiritual approach to life, with reports suggesting he could no longer handle her "exaggerated 'spiriwiri-content'." Molenaar's Instagram posts included gemstones, crystals, a tarot book, and a top with a cannabis leaf.
New Partner's Background
Amber Yuusef is a Dutch model who runs an "Alchemia" page and venture, a term translating to alchemy. De Ligt and Molenaar first met in Amsterdam while he was at Ajax, and he proposed in 2023. Their wedding was scheduled around the Champions League final, with De Ligt leaving the celebration to join the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024.
Molenaar previously told Dutch Vogue: "It's actually funny because the way the planning for our civil wedding went is a reflection of our relationship in general. At first, we planned to get married at the end of May, on our anniversary, but then it looked like Matthijs would make it to the Champions League final with Bayern Munich. So, we had to reschedule everything at the last moment."
