Matt Dibley-Dias
New Zealand footballer (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matthew Max Dibley-Dias (born 29 October 2003) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for National League South club Braintree Town on loan from Fulham.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Max Dibley-Dias | ||
| Date of birth | 29 October 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Lower Hutt, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Braintree Town (on loan from Fulham) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2011 | West Ham United | ||
| 2011–2016 | Brentford | ||
| 2016–2024 | Fulham | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Fulham | 0 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | → Northampton Town (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2025–2026 | → Chesterfield (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2026– | → Braintree Town (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:05, 25 February 2026 (UTC) | |||
Early life and family
Dibley-Dias was born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand to a Brazilian father and a New Zealand mother. He moved to England with his family at a young age.[2][3] He is the grandson of Brazilian footballer Manoelzinho,[4] and is eligible to represent Portugal and Brazil internationally through his father, England and New Zealand through his mother.[5][6]
Club career
Dibley-Dias has been described as "in strong form for Fulham’s U-21 side and as "being touted as a first-team player in waiting".[7] He mainly operates as a midfielder and is known for his long-shooting ability.[8][2]
He joined the youth academy of English Premier League side Fulham at the age of fourteen,[9] and signed a three-year professional contract with the club in September 2021.[2] In 2023 he signed a contract extension to 2027.[10] He received the Johnny Haynes academy player of the year award for the 2022/23 season.[11][12] He has appeared on Fulham's bench four times, including at the end of their 2022–23 Premier League season and for their 2023–24 season opener.[5][11]
In July 2024, Dibley-Dias joined League One side Northampton Town on a season-long loan deal.[13]
In July 2025, Dibley-Dias joined League Two side Chesterfield on a season-long loan deal. [14]
On 25 February 2026, following the premature end to his loan at Chesterfield, Dibley-Dias joined National League side, Braintree Town on loan for the remainder of the 2025–26 campaign.[15]
International career
Dibley-Dias accepted a call-up to play in friendly matches on behalf of the All Whites in October 2023, but was unable to play due to a hamstring injury.[5][16] All Whites coach Darren Bazeley said the injury was a "real shame".[16] The New Zealand Herald noted that Dibley-Dias "has been pursued by Bazeley and New Zealand Football for a long time".[17] He had previously rejected an offer to play for New Zealand at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup due to opportunities with Fulham.[10]
Career statistics
- As of match played 30 August 2025
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fulham U21 | 2023–24[18] | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Fulham | 2024–25[19] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26[20] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Northampton Town (loan) | 2024–25[19] | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chesterfield (loan) | 2025–26[20] | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Braintree Town (loan) | 2025–26[20] | National League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
- Appearances in EFL Trophy
Honours
Fulham U21
- Premier League Cup Champion : 2023–2024[21]
Fulham U23
- Premier League Division 2 Champion : 2021-2022[22]
Fulham U18
- Premier League South Division Champion: 2020-2021[23]
- Premier League U18 Runner-up: 2020-2021[24]
- Premier League Cup U18 Runner-up: 2021-2022[25]
Individual
- Johnny Haynes Trophy : 2022–2023[26]