Gleofilo Vlijter
Surinamese footballer (born 1999)
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Gleofilo Sabrino Rudewald Vlijter (born 17 September 1999) is a Surinamese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság club Újpest and the Suriname national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gleofilo Sabrino Rudewald Vlijter | ||
| Date of birth | 17 September 1999[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Paramaribo, Suriname | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Újpest | ||
| Number | 39 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2015 | Robinhood | ||
| 2015–2016 | → Phoenix All Stars Football Academy | ||
| 2018 | Ironi Kiryat Shmona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2019 | Torpedo Kutaisi | 3 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Aris Limassol | 19 | (15) |
| 2020–2022 | Beitar Jerusalem | 49 | (6) |
| 2022–2023 | → Hapoel Ramat Gan (loan) | 32 | (13) |
| 2023–2024 | Doxa Katokopias | 14 | (0) |
| 2024 | VPS | 15 | (3) |
| 2024–2025 | OFK Beograd | 32 | (10) |
| 2025– | Újpest | 11 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015– | Suriname | 34 | (15) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 October 2025 | |||
Vlijter is currently Suriname's all-time top goalscorer.
Club career
Youth career
Vlijter started his career with S.V. Robinhood of the SVB Hoofdklasse, the highest level of football in Suriname. He was with the club since at least December 2013.[2] In May 2014, he was invited to a football clinic in Suriname sponsored by Chelsea.[3]
In January 2015, while a member of the Phoenix All Stars Football Academy in Jamaica, Vlijter traveled to Europe for the first time as he was invited to a trial with Belgian top-division club Genk. At that time, he received a letter of recommendation from the club to apply for a visa.[4] However, a deal with that club and another with KV Oostende fell through and the player returned to Suriname.[5]
In October 2016 it was announced that Vlijter and fellow Surinamese youth international Ayad Godlieb were on trial with Feyenoord Rotterdam of the Dutch Eredivisie. It was expected that they would be signed to a contract with the club's academy in January 2017 if they could acquire work visas.[6] The pair of players first trialed with the club in September 2016 while still playing for S.V. Robinhood in Suriname.[7]
On 9 January 2018 he signed for the youth team of Ironi Kiryat Shmona for the remainder of the season with a club option for further three years.[8]
Senior career
After one season with the Israeli club in which he was primarily a member of the reserve team he signed for FC Torpedo Kutaisi of the Georgian Erovnuli Liga. He joined as the team was preparing to enter the preliminary round of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League.[9]
In August 2019 it was announced that Vlijter had signed a two-year contract with Aris Limassol of the Cypriot Second Division.[10] In his first unofficial match with Aris Limassol, he scored a hat-trick against AEZ. He made his league debut for Aris in a 0–1 loss to Alki Oroklini.[11]
On 4 August 2020, Vlijter signed a three-year deal with Israeli Premier League club Beitar Jerusalem.[12]
After a stint with Doxa Katokopias in Cypriot First Division, Vlijter signed with Veikkausliiga club Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) in Finland.[13] His deal with VPS was terminated on 6 August 2024.[14]
Vlijter joined OFK Beograd on 8 August 2024.[15]
Personal life
Gleofilo is the cousin of Surinamese internationals Nigel Hasselbaink and Roscello Vlijter. His dad also played in the SVB Hoofdklasse.
International career
Vlijter represented Suriname at the U15[2] and U16 levels.[3] During a U15 tournament held in French Guiana in late 2013, he was identified by the coaching staff as one of four players who impressed the most.[17] He made his senior international debut at age 15 on 30 April 2015 in a friendly against Guyana.[18]
Vlijter won the Golden Boot Award for the 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League after scoring ten goals in six matches in League B.[19] In June 2021 Vlijter was named to Suriname's 23-man squad for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[20] On 16 July 2021 he scored Suriname's first-ever CONCACAF Gold Cup goal in a 1–2 defeat to Costa Rica.[21]
On 15 October 2023, Vlijter tied Stefano Rijssel's goal scoring record by netting his fourteenth goal for Suriname in a 4-0 win against Grenada during 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League A.[22][23]
On 11 October 2024, during a 1-1 draw with Costa Rica in the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League, he scored his 15th international goal to become Suriname’s sole top goalscorer.[24]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 30 November 2025[25]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Torpedo Kutaisi | 2018 | Erovnuli Liga | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||
| Aris Limassol | 2019–20 | Cypriot Second Division | 18 | 13 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 14 | ||
| Beitar Jerusalem | 2020–21 | Israeli Premier League | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| 2021–22 | Israeli Premier League | 25 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 5 | |
| 2022–23 | Israeli Premier League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 49 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 57 | 6 | ||
| Hapoel Ramat Gan (loan) | 2022–23 | Liga Leumit | 32 | 13 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 13 | ||
| Total | 32 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 13 | ||
| Doxa Katokopias | 2023–24 | Cypriot First Division | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| VPS | 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 15 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 |
| OFK Beograd | 2024–25 | Serbian SuperLiga | 32 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 11 | ||
| Újpest | 2025–26 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 173 | 49 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 190 | 49 | ||
International
- As of match played 10 October 2025[26]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suriname | |||
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 10 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 15 | |
- Scores and results list Suriname's goal tally first.[26]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 September 2019 | Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica |  Dominica | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League B |
| 2. | 2–0 | |||||
| 3. | 8 September 2019 | André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname |  Nicaragua | 1–0 | 6–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League B |
| 4. | 2–0 | |||||
| 5. | 4–0 | |||||
| 6. | 5–0 | |||||
| 7. | 11 October 2019 | Arnos Vale Stadium, Arnos Vale, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League B |
| 8. | 2–0 | |||||
| 9. | 15 November 2019 | André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname | Dominica | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League B |
| 10. | 3–0 | |||||
| 11. | 24 March 2021 | Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname |  Cayman Islands | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12. | 16 July 2021 | Exploria Stadium, Orlando, United States |  Costa Rica | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 13. | 20 July 2021 | BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States |  Guadeloupe | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 14. | 15 October 2023 | Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname |  Grenada | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| 15. | 11 October 2024 | Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname | Costa Rica | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League A |
| Last updated 11 October 2024 | ||||||
Honours
Individual
- Surinamese Footballer of the Year: 2019
- CONCACAF Nations League Top Scorer: 2019–20[27]
