Teun Koopmeiners

Teun Koopmeiners (; born 28 February 1998) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Juventus and the Netherlands national team.

Having represented the Netherlands at various youth levels, Koopmeiners was called up to the senior team's preliminary UEFA Nations League squad in August 2020. He was later part of their squad for the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and 2026.

Club career AZ

Koopmeiners grew up in Castricum, North Holland, and took his first steps in football as a youth player for the local club, Vitesse '22. In 2009, he joined the AZ youth academy at under-12 level. He eventually progressed through the ranks, and as part of the club's reserve team, Jong AZ, he became champion of the Dutch third division in the 2016–17 season, reaching promotion to the Eerste Divisie.

On 18 August 2017, Koopmeiners made his professional debut for Jong AZ in a 3–1 away win over FC Den Bosch. He made his first team-debut on 1 October, coming on as a substitute for Alireza Jahanbakhsh for the final 30 minutes of a 4–0 home loss to Feyenoord. At the end of the 2017–18 season, AZ ended in third place, and thereby qualified for Europa League. In his first professional season, he made 26 league appearances in which he scored one goal.

On 1 March 2020, Koopmeiners played a 70-metre pass to set up Oussama Idrissi for AZ's second goal in a 2–0 win against Ajax which put his side level on points with Ajax. During the 2019–20 AZ Alkmaar season Koopmeiners scored 16 goals in all competitions in 42 appearances, helping his side finish second in the Eredivisie on goal difference behind the Champions AFC Ajax.

He scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season against Viktoria Plzen on 26 August 2020 in the UEFA Champions League qualifier 3–1 victory. On 14 January 2021, Koopmeiners scored two goals, including an audacious backheel flick, to help his side clinch an 3–1 away victory against PSV Eindhoven.

Atalanta On 30 August 2021, Koopmeiners signed for Serie A club Atalanta for a reported fee of €12 million. He made his debut on 11 September in the home match against Fiorentina, as a late substitute for Matteo Pessina. On 1 September 2022, Koopmeiners scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 Serie A victory over Torino.

On 22 May 2024, he started in Atalanta's 3–0 victory over German champions Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final.

Juventus On 28 August 2024, Koopmeiners moved to fellow Serie A club Juventus, signing a five-year deal. The transfer fee paid to Atalanta was €51.3 million plus €3.4 million in "ancillary costs" as well as a further €6 million "upon the achievement of further performance objectives".

On 1 September 2024, Koopmeiners made his first Juventus appearance in a 0–0 draw with AS Roma, replacing Juan Cabal at half-time. Later that year, on 7 December, he scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw with Bologna.

International career Koopmeiners made four appearances for the Netherlands national under-17 team, as well as two appearances for the national under-18 team. As part of the under-19s, he played at the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, reaching the semi-finals and only losing to Portugal. At under-19 level, Koopmeiners made 13 appearances.

On 19 August 2020, Koopmeiners was called up to the senior Netherlands national team by caretaker manager Dwight Lodeweges in the preliminary squad for the UEFA Nations League fixtures against Poland and Italy. He made his competitive debut in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification against Turkey on 7 September 2021, contributing with an assist in a 6–1 victory. Koopmeiners scored his first senior national team goal in a UEFA Nations League match against Wales on 8 June 2022. In the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, known as the Battle of Lusail, Koopmeiners assisted former AZ teammate Wout Weghorst with a clever free-kick routine in the 11th minute of stoppage time to send the fixture to extra time. He then scored his penalty in the subsequent shoot-out but could not stop the Netherlands from being eliminated 4–3.

On 29 May 2024, Koopmeiners was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024. However, he was forced to withdraw from the tournament squad after sustaining an injury during the warm-up for a friendly match against Iceland on 10 June 2024.

On 27 May 2026, Koopmeiners was named in the Netherlands' squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Style of play Koopmeiners can play as a defensive midfielder or central midfielder. He can also play as a centre-back. He is known for his leadership qualities, and captained AZ Alkmaar despite his young age.

Personal life His younger brother Peer is also a professional footballer; Peer still plays for AZ.

Career statistics

Club

Netherlands score listed first, score column indicates score after each Koopmeiners goal. Coppa Italia runner-up: 2023–24

Individual Atalanta Goal of the season: 2022–23 UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2023–24 Serie A Team of the Year: 2023–24