Matteo Waem
Belgian footballer (born 2000)
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Matteo Waem (born 21 June 2000) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Eerste Divisie club ADO Den Haag.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 June 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Merksem, Belgium[1] | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | ADO Den Haag | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Seja | ||
| 2006–2016 | Antwerp | ||
| 2016–2017 | Westerlo | ||
| 2017–2020 | Antwerp | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2023 | MVV | 87 | (1) |
| 2023– | ADO Den Haag | 88 | (8) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:28, 23 January 2026 (UTC) | |||
Career
Early years
Matteo Waem, who is of Belgian and Italian parentage, grew up in Merksem, a suburb of Antwerp.[3] He took his first steps in football at the age of five at Seja, a regional football club.[4] At the age of six he joined the Royal Antwerp academy, where he played until 2020.[4] During this period, he also had a short stint at Westerlo for a year before resuming his career at Antwerp. During the 2019–20 season, he was on a trial practice at English EFL Championship club Birmingham City[5] and succeeded in convincing them to a transfer.[6] Due to external factors, however, the deal fell through.[4]
MVV
In June 2020, Waem signed with Dutch Eerste Divisie club MVV.[7] He made his professional debut on 5 September 2020 in a 7–1 home loss to Cambuur, replacing Koen Kostons in the 84th minute.[8]
Waem was appointed team captain of MVV ahead of the 2022–23 season.[9] He scored his first professional goal on 5 February 2023, opening the score in the derby against Roda JC, which MVV lost 2–1.[10]
ADO Den Haag
On 13 July 2023, ADO Den Haag announced the signing of Waem on a three-year contract.[3]
Personal life
Waem has described his younger brother Andreas as his main inspiration.[4] His brother has autism, something Waem has mentioned as the reason for him studying psychology next to his career as a professional footballer.[9]
Career statistics
- As of match played 16 January 2026[11]
| Club | Season | League | KNVB Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| MVV | 2020–21 | Eerste Divisie | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | |
| 2021–22 | Eerste Divisie | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Eerste Divisie | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| Total | 87 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 92 | 1 | ||
| ADO Den Haag | 2023–24 | Eerste Divisie | 35 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 43 | 3 |
| 2024–25 | Eerste Divisie | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2025–26 | Eerste Divisie | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 2 | ||
| Total | 88 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 100 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 175 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 192 | 9 | ||
- Appearances in Eredivisie promotion/relegation playoffs
