Wesley Sneijder

About Wesley Sneijder

In 2002, a young Dutch attacking midfielder pulled on the Ajax shirt for the first time. Wesley Sneijder, born in 1984, would go on to play for 6 clubs over the following 17 years. The boots have been hung up: the final chapter came at Al-Gharafa, closing in 2019.

Laid out in order, the itinerary reads: Ajax (2002–2007), then Real Madrid (2007–2009), then Inter Milan (2009–2013), then Galatasaray (2013–2017), then Nice (2017–2018), then Al-Gharafa (2018–2019). For trivia purposes, the order of those badges is everything.

The longest loyalty belonged to Ajax, an association stretching about 5 years. 2007 marked the leap overseas — a transfer to Real Madrid of Spain. Adding it up, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Qatar all appear on the career map, a spread that rewards fans who follow more than one league.

The ledger shows 576 recorded appearances, 154 goals, 145 assists.

Could you have named Wesley Sneijder from the badges alone — Ajax at the start, Al-Gharafa at the end? Read the timeline below and ask yourself which stop would have given the answer away first.