Sergiño Dest

Sergiño Gianni Dest (; born November 3, 2000) is a professional soccer player who plays as a full-back for Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven. Born in the Netherlands, he represents the United States national team. He is known for his dribbling, pace, and offensive ability.

Dest began his professional career with Jong Ajax after featuring in the club's youth academy, later debuting with the Ajax senior team in July 2019. He won the Ajax Talent of the Year award in 2020.

Dest debuted for the United States national team in September 2019 and won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2021, 2023, and 2024. He won the 2019 U.S. Young Soccer Player of the Year award.

Early life Dest was born in Almere to Surinamese-American father Kenneth Dest and a Dutch mother. Kenneth Dest was born in Suriname and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was young, settling in Brooklyn, and eventually naturalized as a U.S. citizen.

Club career Early career Dest played for the youth academy of Almere City until 2012, when he moved to the Ajax youth academy. Initially a forward, he progressed through the ranks of the club until making the switch to a full-back. On August 10, 2019, Dest debuted in the Eredivisie, replacing Noussair Mazraoui in the 54th minute of Ajax's 5–0 home win against Emmen. He also appeared as a substitute in qualifying matches for the UEFA Champions League against PAOK and APOEL.

In September, Dest was officially promoted to the Ajax first-team squad. On September 17, 2019, he made his first start in the Champions League against Lille, a match which Ajax won 3–0. Dest finished his first senior season with 35 appearances in which he scored two goals—both in a KNVB Cup fixture against Telstar. For his performances, he won the 2020 Ajax Talent of the Year award and finished 14th in the Golden Boy award voting.

Barcelona

On October 1, 2020, Dest transferred to Barcelona for an initial €21 million fee plus a further €5 million in variables. He signed a five-year contract with the club with a buyout clause set at €400 million. Dest made his debut for Barcelona on October 4, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Jordi Alba in a 1–1 draw against Sevilla. With the appearance, Dest became the first American to appear for Barcelona in La Liga. On October 20, he became the first American to play for Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League match.

Later that month, Dest set another milestone, becoming the first American to play in El Clásico; Barcelona fell in a 1–3 defeat to rivals Real Madrid, but Dest's performance in the match was praised. On November 25, 2020, Dest scored his first goal for Barcelona in a 4–0 away win over Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League group stage. In doing so, Dest became the first American to score a professional goal for the club. On March 21, 2021, he scored a brace in a 6–1 away win over Real Sociedad.

Loan to AC Milan On September 1, 2022, Dest signed for Serie A club AC Milan on a one-year loan with option to buy for €20 million. Dest made his Serie A debut on September 17, in a match against Napoli. He entered the match at halftime, replacing Davide Calabria.

PSV On August 21, 2023, Dest joined Eredivisie club PSV on a season-long loan deal. In April 2024, he suffered an ACL injury which prematurely ended his season, though he was integral to the campaign that ended up winning the 2023–24 Eredivisie. In June 2024, he moved permanently to the club on a free transfer. Dest has represented the United States at youth and full international level. He played five games in total for the United States under-17 team, including four appearances at the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

He represented the United States under-20 team at the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, where he played four matches. In total, he made 12 appearances and scored one goal for the under-20 team. Dest chose to commit his international future to the United States at the senior level on October 28, 2019.

He was included in the United States' 26-man roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. During the tournament, Dest provided the assist for Christian Pulisic's winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Iran, which sent the United States into the round of 16. In the next game against the Netherlands (his birth nation), he was culpable in leaving too much space for Daley Blind to score the second Dutch goal in a 3–1 defeat for the U.S.

At the 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League on November 20, 2023, against Trinidad and Tobago, Dest was sent off after receiving 2 yellow cards in 20 seconds after controversially arguing with the referee and U.S. teammates. He missed the 2024 Copa América hosted in the United States due to an ACL injury.

On May 26, 2026, Dest was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Style of play Dest plays as a full-back, performing offensive attacking and defensive roles and maintaining possession. A natural dribbler, he uses his high pace when pushing forward against opponents and defending.

International

Scores and results list United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dest goal.

Barcelona Copa del Rey: 2020–21

PSV Eredivisie: 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26 Johan Cruyff Shield: 2025

United States U20 CONCACAF U-20 Championship: 2018

United States CONCACAF Nations League: 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24

Individual CONCACAF U-20 Championship Best XI: 2018 U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year: 2019 Ajax Talent of the Year (Marco van Basten Award): 2020 IFFHS Men's World Youth (U20) Team: 2020 IFFHS Men's CONCACAF Team of the Year: 2020, 2022, 2025