Jorthy Mokio
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jorthy Mokio[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 29 February 2008 | ||
| Place of birth | Ghent, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ajax | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2020 | KFC Merelbeke | ||
| 2021–2024 | Gent | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024 | Gent | 4 | (0) |
| 2024– | Jong Ajax | 18 | (2) |
| 2024– | Ajax | 31 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023 | Belgium U15 | 5 | (2) |
| 2023 | Belgium U16 | 3 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Belgium U17 | 4 | (0) |
| 2025– | Belgium U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2024– | Belgium U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2024– | Belgium U21 | 6 | (2) |
| 2025– | Belgium | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:32, 22 March 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 08:38, 31 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
Jorthy Mokio (born 29 February 2008) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for Eredivisie club Ajax and the Belgium national team.[3]
Gent
Mokio joined the Gent youth academy from KFC Merelbeke in 2021. On 4 October 2023, he debuted in the UEFA Youth League in a match against Basel, becoming the youngest Gent player ever to participate in the competition.[2] Widely regarded as a top defensive prospect, he attracted interest from major European clubs.[4][5] On his 16th birthday, 29 February 2024, he became eligible to play for the senior team.[6] He made his senior debut for Gent in the Belgian Pro League on 29 March 2024, starting in a 5–1 win against Standard Liège.[7] He made four appearances for the first team towards the end of the season.[7]
Ajax
On 24 June 2024, having turned down offers from other clubs including reportedly Barcelona, Mokio joined Dutch club Ajax on a free transfer, signing a contract until June 2027.[8][9] He initially started with the reserve team, Jong Ajax, making his Eerste Divisie debut on 12 August 2024 against Jong PSV.[2] He quickly established himself as a regular for Jong Ajax, scoring twice in 17 appearances during the first half of the season, sometimes playing as a defensive midfielder.[7][9] Mokio made his competitive debut for the Ajax first team on 29 August 2024, coming on as a substitute against Jagiellonia Białystok in the UEFA Europa League play-off round. In doing so, at 16 years and 182 days, he became the youngest non-Dutch player ever to debut for Ajax.[10]
His integration into the first team under manager Francesco Farioli accelerated in the new year. He made his Eredivisie debut starting at left-back against Fortuna Sittard on 9 February 2025; at 16 years and 346 days, he became the second-youngest player to start a league match for Ajax, only three days older than Clarence Seedorf.[9] Four days later, on 13 February, Mokio made his first European start against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League knockout round play-offs and scored his first senior goal with a volley in Ajax's 2–0 victory. This goal made him the youngest ever scorer in a UEFA Europa League knockout stage match (16 years, 350 days).[11][12][13] On 9 April 2026, Mokio signed a new five-year contract with Ajax, valid until June 2031.[14]
International career
Born in Belgium, Mokio is of Congolese descent.[15] He has represented Belgium at U15, U16 and U17 levels.[16]
In September 2024, Mokio made his debut for the Belgium U21 team in a 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Kazakhstan, scoring in a 3–1 victory.[17] On 20 March 2025, Mokio made his senior debut for the Belgium national team, coming on as a substitute in a UEFA Nations League play-off match against Ukraine. Aged 17 years and 19 days, he became one of the youngest players ever to represent Belgium at senior level.[18]