| Max de Waal | |
| Birth Date: | 10 January 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Hoorn, Netherlands |
| Height: | 1.84 m[1] |
| Position: | Forward |
| Currentclub: | VVV-Venlo |
| Youthyears1: | 2007–2012 |
| Youthclubs1: | Always Forward |
| Youthyears2: | 2011–2013 |
| Youthclubs2: | HV Veerhuys |
| Youthyears3: | 2012–2013 |
| Youthclubs3: | Hollandia |
| Youthyears4: | 2013–2019 |
| Youthclubs4: | Ajax |
| Years1: | 2019–2023 |
| Clubs1: | Jong Ajax |
| Caps1: | 41 |
| Goals1: | 11 |
| Years2: | 2022 |
| Clubs2: | → PEC Zwolle (loan) |
| Caps2: | 7 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs3: | → ADO Den Haag (loan) |
| Caps3: | 18 |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Years4: | 2023– |
| Clubs4: | Willem II |
| Caps4: | 14 |
| Goals4: | 1 |
| Years5: | 2024– |
| Clubs5: | → VVV-Venlo (loan) |
| Caps5: | 0 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2017 |
| Nationalteam1: | Netherlands U15 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2018 |
| Nationalteam2: | Netherlands U16 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 31 August 2024 |
Max de Waal (born 10 January 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club VVV-Venlo on loan from Willem II.
De Waal began his football career with Always Forward, based in his hometown Hoorn,[2] for whom he played until 2012. He also played for HV Veerhuys for three years while playing for Always Forward.[3] [4] He then moved to Hollandia for a year before moving to the renowned Ajax youth academy.[5] In 2017–18, he made one appearance for the under-17 team. In the following season he established himself in the team and scored nine goals in 26 games. In 2019–20, De Waal mainly played for the under-19 team, including in the UEFA Youth League.[6]
He made his first appearance for Jong Ajax in the second-tier Eerste Divisie in a match against Jong PSV on 16 September 2019. He came on in the 69th minute for Alex Mendez and scored the 2–0 winner in stoppage time.[7] During the season he was utilised once more in the Eerste Divisie.[8] In the following season, he played more regularly for the Jong Ajax team.[9] However, he would only signed his first professional contract with Jong Ajax in December 2020.[10]
In January 2022, De Waal extended his contract with Ajax but immediately went out on loan to bottom of the table side PEC Zwolle.[11] He made his debut for the side on 5 February 2022, replacing Mustafa Saymak in the 81st minute of a 1–1 home draw against NEC.[12] [13] De Waal made seven appearances for PEC – all as a substitute – as the club suffered relegation to the Eerste Divisie at the end of the season.[14]
On 24 June 2022, after returning to Ajax, De Waal was sent on a one-season loan to Eerste Divisie club ADO Den Haag.[15] He made his ADO debut under new head coach Dirk Kuyt on the first matchday of the 2022–23 season, starting in midfield in a resounding 4–0 defeat against recently relegated Heracles Almelo; all goals fell in the first half.[16] [17] On 28 August, De Waal scored his first goal for the club against his parent club Jong Ajax, adding an assist to help ADO to a 4–0 home win.[18] Following Kuyt's dismissal in November 2022, De Waal was utilised less frequently and mainly appeared as a substitute during his successor Dick Advocaat's tenure during the latter part of the season.[19] De Waal scored twice in 21 appearances for ADO, before returning to Ajax in June 2023.[20]
On 12 July 2023, De Waal signed a three-year contract with Eerste Divisie club Willem II.[21] He made his competitive debut for the club on the first matchday of the season, starting in a 1–1 away draw against FC Eindhoven on 13 August.[22] On 6 October, he scored his first goal for the Tricolores in a 4–2 league victory against De Graafschap after coming on as a second-half substitute.[23]
On 2 September 2024, de Waal moved on loan to VVV-Venlo.[24]
De Waal has played for two Netherlands national youth teams, but has yet to play in a major tournament.[25]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Jong Ajax | 2019–20 | Eerste Divisie | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Eerste Divisie | 19 | 1 | — | — | — | 19 | 1 | |||||
| 2021–22 | Eerste Divisie | 20 | 9 | — | — | — | 20 | 9 | |||||
| 2022–23 | Eerste Divisie | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 41 | 11 | — | — | — | 41 | 11 | ||||||
| PEC Zwolle (loan) | 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| ADO Den Haag (loan) | 2022–23 | Eerste Divisie | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 1 | |||
| Willem II | 2023–24 | Eerste Divisie | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 80 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 14 | |||