Sergiño Dest

At 25, Sergiño has already played for clubs most players only dream of: Ajax, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, and PSV Eindhoven. He has represented the United States Men's National Team on the world's biggest stage. And with the 2026 World Cup coming to the US — the country he deliberately chose to play for — that stage is about to get bigger than ever.

Sergiño was there in Qatar. He knows what a World Cup feels like from the inside. What did that first experience actually do to him?

It was a completely different experience to anything I'd had before. What I remember most is that I'd wake up in the hotel, open the balcony, and just hear the sound of life. People everywhere, flags, music, fans from every country. It felt like a family.

You walk onto that pitch for your first official World Cup game and you get goosebumps. Representing your country on that stage, there's just no way to describe it.

What was different in Qatar is that everything was close. All the teams and all the fans, it was all in one city. So you really felt that World Cup atmosphere everywhere. I think that's what a World Cup should always feel like.

And now the World Cup is coming to the United States, the country Sergiño plays for.

It's incredibly special. Playing a World Cup in the country you represent, the emotions that come with that are something else. I really want to be there, I'm going to do everything to be there.

And yeah, when you play at home, you feel the support more. The fans, the people, everyone is behind you. That gives you something extra on the pitch.

Sergiño was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch-American father and a Surinamese mother, which made him eligible for both The Netherlands and the United States. What drove the decision to represent the US?

I'd been in the Dutch youth setups for a while, training camps, stages. Then in 2016 or 2017 I made my debut for the US Under-17s. And from the moment I arrived, I saw a different world. The facilities, the staff, the way they took care of the players, it was next level. I felt good there, I felt at home.

When I became a bigger talent and clubs started to take notice, both national teams came to me. I sat down with Ronald Koeman [Netherlands national team coach, red.]. I had dinner with the US staff. I was 18 years old, trying to make a decision that would shape the rest of my career. It wasn't an easy decision.

I thought about it from every angle. The Netherlands had a big history, great players. But the US was still growing. And I started asking myself: where can I really be part of something, instead of just being one of many? The US was building something. And the commercial and marketing side of it, I'd seen enough to know that wasn't something the Netherlands was focused on in the same way.

I also just love adventure. The Netherlands I already knew. United States still had everything to offer. And once I make a decision and I feel good, I stick with it. I don't change just to change.

Sergiño's perspective is shaped by two football worlds. Raised in the Netherlands and representing the US, he understands that being a modern athlete extends well beyond the pitch. So when the conversation turns to brand, partnerships, and what he's building beyond the next contract, he's thoughtful on it.

I've always had an eye on the long term. Not just contract to contract, but what am I building? What does this partnership say about me a couple of years from now?

I've done deals across a lot of different categories, Nike, Hugo Boss, EA Sports, Panini, Topps. Some are straightforward, but what I'm most interested in are the ones that actually mean something, the ones where both sides are really aligned.

I had a multi-year deal with BioSteel, a sports drink brand, that kind of consistency matters to me. I prefer long-term partnerships, because they feel more genuine and show that I actually stand behind what I'm doing. I also work with NJ TRANSIT on a human trafficking awareness campaign that helps passengers and staff spot signs of possible human trafficking on public transport. That has nothing to do with football. But it says something about what I care about as a person.

I'm not really interested in the short-term grab, just doing something for the money. For me it has to fit. I'm open to commercial deals, but if it doesn't match who I am, then I won't do it. I think it's important to choose the right things, not just everything that comes your way.

Not every athlete develops that instinct early. Opportunities come quickly, people tell you what you want to hear, and it's easy to say yes before really thinking it through. So I ask him: how does he actually make those decisions?

I ask questions, I do my own research. I've met a lot of people in this world who promise everything and deliver nothing. Agents, investors, dealmakers, everyone has a story. So when someone comes to me, I say: show me the steps, put everything on the table. You see very quickly who's serious and who isn't. If people can't be clear or transparent, you see very quickly they're not serious.

I read people quickly. I don't believe something just because it has a famous name attached to it. If it's good, it's good. If it isn't, no name changes that.

I don't believe something just because it has a famous name attached to it. If it's good, it's good. If it isn't, no name changes that.

Off the pitch, Sergiño invested in something with a different kind of return. In Almere, the city where he grew up, he funded and built a street football court.

I grew up on those streets, so I know what it means to have a place like that when you're a kid. The world has changed. Every kid is behind a phone, an iPad, a PlayStation, a computer. They're staying inside. I wanted to create a reason for them to go outside again, to play, and to dream.

We do a tournament there every year around King's Day. The second one just happened. We started small, but now already 300 or 400 people show up, kids, parents, even people from other cities just come to enjoy the atmosphere.

What's really important to me is that they feel appreciated, that they feel welcome, and be part of something. Because I've been there too, you know.

For the kids, it gives them something, it gives them a dream. A dream that they can follow and maybe become someone like me, or other players. And it gives them a platform to showcase themselves, especially when we have these tournaments. Maybe in the future, we will have scouts over there too.

I really love that his goal is to inspire the next generation. Maybe one of those kids looks up and thinks: he came from this neighbourhood too. If he made it, why not me?

Next month I'm opening a court in Paramaribo, Suriname. I have family there so I really feel connected. When I visited I saw the facilities there were not that great. I wanted to do something back for that community as well and offer them a great modern street soccer field, so they can also practice their skills. It just gives me a lot of joy to do something like that. It's something I want to be part of my legacy.

It just gives me a lot of joy to do something like that. It's something I want to be part of my legacy.

Sergiño is also looking to build a court in the United States, maybe in New York or Miami, or somewhere else on the East Coast. Those are the three places he feels closely connected to.

If anyone wants to help, they're more than welcome. This is something I'd love to have in the future, three courts connected to my name, and give kids the opportunity to dream big.

At the age of 25, Sergiño already played for Ajax, FC Barcelona, AC Milan and PSV Eindhoven with all different cultures. What has he taken from those experiences beyond football?

The level is different everywhere. Not just on the pitch, but everything around it, the fans, the passion, how people experience the game. At a club like Barcelona, when you walk outside, people recognise you straight away. They come up to you, they're proud, they're emotional. You can really feel what the club means to them.

In the Netherlands it's different. People are more calm, more reserved. They might recognise you, but it's more like a nod, like "That's him" and they keep walking. It's just a different culture. In Spain or Italy, everything is more expressive, you feel the emotion more. And as a player, that gives you something extra.

Having already played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, it's easy to forget that at 25, Sergiño still has much of his career ahead of him. He's now at a stage where decisions around his next club will come up. So what does he look for?

For me it's about where I can play and where I feel trust. That's the most important thing. If a coach believes in you and you fit the system, that's where you can show your level. The club's history also matters to me and the fans. I look at all of it together and ask: does this fit who I am?

Every player is ambitious. Everyone wants to play at the highest level. The top 5 leagues appeal most, that's where you really test yourself. PSV is a great club and Eindhoven is a good city. But if the right step comes, you take it. And if it doesn't fully match what you're looking for, you wait for something that does.

Some players know exactly what they're good at on the pitch. Sergiño has the same clarity off it, and he doesn't need long to tell you.

On the pitch my best skill is dribbling. That's my best quality. I think I'm one of the more technical fullbacks in the game. I think my position and my style.. it's unique. I back myself on that.

Off the pitch I'm good at making decisions. I don't rush things. I look at what actually fits me and what makes sense long-term. I enjoy life, but I'm not someone who just spends money for no reason.

To switch off I like to be with family, friends, a barbecue with good music and good conversation. Honestly some of the best days cost nothing. And I'd like to travel when I can, because new cultures teach you things the pitch never will.

And I love fast cars. I know it's not a great investment, but when I start the engine and I'm driving with the roof down and I hear that V8 or V10, I feel completely free. I'm not thinking about football, I'm not thinking about anything, just that moment. It's really about how it makes me feel.

Legacy isn't something Sergiño thinks about later. Ask him what he wants people to say about him years from now, and he doesn't hesitate.

As a player that I had flair, that I had courage. And that I was one of the most technical fullbacks of my generation.

And as a person, that I didn't forget where I came from. That I thought about other people, the community, the kids who came after me. And that I actually did something about it, not just talked about it. I was lucky enough to reach this level. I want to use that for something real.

A few days before this interview went live, the Sergiño Dest Court in Paramaribo, Suriname, officially opened.

The photos below say more than I could.

For Sergiño, legacy isn't something you talk about. It's something you build.