Marco van Basten

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Marco van Basten

Dutch football player

Also known as: Marcel van Basten

Written by Adam Augustyn

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Oct 27, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Byname of:: Marcel van Basten

Born:: October 31, 1964, Utrecht, Netherlands (age 60)

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Marco van Basten (born October 31, 1964, Utrecht, Netherlands) is a Dutch football (soccer) player and coach who was a three-time European Player of the Year (1988, 1989, and 1992) and the 1992 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Player of the Year. Van Basten joined the Dutch superpower Ajax in 1981, and he made his debut for their first-division side in 1982. The prolific striker led the Eredivisie (the top Dutch football league) in goals scored for four consecutive seasons (1983–84 through 1986–87), and he was the top European goal scorer during the 1985–86 campaign. Van Basten helped ...(100 of 399 words)

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