Maarten Stekelenburg
The towering Dutch goalkeeper whose crucial saves propelled his national team to the 2010 World Cup final.
Born 1982 (age 44)·Dutch footballer·Birthday: September 22·Millennials
Biography
Maarten Stekelenburg (b. 1982) — Dutch footballer: Maarten Stekelenburg started as Edwin van der Sar's successor at Ajax and finished as the goalkeeper who kept the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final. At 6'6", he used his reach and reflexes to shut down Brazil's Kaká and Uruguay's Diego Forlán in the knockout rounds, anchoring a run that ended with a 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain. He trained at Ajax's academy, then took the starting job when van der Sar left. His club path ran through Roma, Fulham, and Everton, where injuries interrupted stretches of sharp shot-stopping. He never replicated that 2010 peak in league play. But in South Africa, he made 16 saves across seven matches, a total that led the tournament. That performance defined his career. He retired as a player whose most defining moments came draped in orange, a key architect of Dutch football's last golden run. (Word count: 155)
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Maarten was born in 1982, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maarten Was Born
The biggest hits of 1982
#1 Movie
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Best Picture
Gandhi
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Maarten's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1982Born
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1987Started school
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1995Became a teenager
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Could drive
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2000Could vote
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2003Turned 21
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2012Turned 30
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 40
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 44 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Started in goal for the Netherlands in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final against Spain.
- Won the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup twice each during his tenure at Ajax.
- Earned over 60 caps for the Dutch national team across a 14-year international career.
- Successfully transitioned from Ajax to Serie A, becoming AS Roma's first-choice goalkeeper in 2011.
Did You Know?
He stands 6 feet 6 inches tall, making him one of the tallest goalkeepers in top-flight football history.
He made his professional debut for Ajax in the same season (2002-03) that his predecessor, Edwin van der Sar, left the club.
His father, Martin Stekelenburg, was also a professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
“My only focus is the next shot, the next save, nothing else.”
