Dean Huijsen
Active- Current or last club
- Real Madrid
- Country (nationality)
- Spain
- League or competition
- La Liga
- Position
- Centre-back
- How is the religion known?
- Unconfirmed, needs checking
- Last checked
- 24 October 2026
We list a player’s religion only where they have spoken about it publicly or it has been reliably reported, and we link our sources. If something is wrong, or a player’s views have changed, please tell us and we will review it.
Table of Contents
What religion is Dean Huijsen?
Dean Huijsen is a Spanish professional footballer who has never spoken publicly about his religious beliefs. While there is widespread speculation and viral discussion across social media platforms claiming he is Muslim or converting to Islam, these reports remain unverified rumors. Some online databases claim he is Muslim, while other fan discussions assert he is Christian. Huijsen maintains privacy regarding his personal life and has chosen not to make any public statements clarifying his religious beliefs or affiliation.
Dean Huijsen plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Real Madrid as well as the Spain national team, and he previously played for Juventus, AS Roma, and AFC Bournemouth. In 2024, Dean became Bournemouth’s youngest Premier League goalscorer after netting a match-winner in December. He was part of the Juventus squad that won the Coppa Italia in the 2023–24 season, and he finished as a runner-up with the Netherlands U17 team at the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. In May 2025, Huijsen signed a five-year, €59.5 million deal with Real Madrid after the club triggered his release clause. Dean represented Spain at the UEFA Nations League as well as the European World Cup qualifiers.
Early life and youth career
Dean Donny Huijsen Wijsmuller was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and moved with his family to Málaga, Spain, at the age of 5. He is the son of Donny Huijsen, a former professional footballer who played as a forward in the Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie. In 2015, Huijsen joined the Málaga CF youth academy. In 2021, at the age of 16, he chose to sign with the Juventus Youth Sector, playing for Juventus U19, the Juventus youth team, and Juventus Next Gen.
Juventus
In early January 2023, Huijsen was promoted to Juventus Next Gen, the reserve team of Juventus. He made his professional debut on 8 January, starting in a 2–1 league loss against Pordenone. Over the course of the season, he featured in multiple matches for Next Gen before signing a subsequent contract extension in June 2023.
On 22 October 2023, Huijsen made his Serie A debut, coming off the bench in a 1–0 away win over AC Milan. On November 7, he was officially promoted to the Juventus first team.
Loan to Roma
On 6 January 2024, Huijsen joined Italian side Roma on loan from Juventus until the end of the 2023–24 season, with no option to buy included in the agreement. The next day, on 7 January, he made his debut as a substitute, playing 45 minutes, during which he made 1 clearance and 1 tackle, won 2 out of 5 duels, and completed 4 out of 5 long passes, helping Roma to a 1-1 home draw against Atalanta.
Huijsen scored his first Serie A goal on 5 February, sealing Roma’s 4–0 win against Cagliari. Just over two weeks later, on 18 February, he netted the opener in a 3–0 away win against Frosinone with a long-range strike. During the 2023-24 season, Huijsen made 14 appearances for Roma, contributing 2 goals and 1 assist.
Bournemouth
On July 30, 2024, Huijsen completed a permanent transfer from Juventus to AFC Bournemouth for a transfer fee of €15.2 million, signing a contract until June 2030. He made his Premier League debut on 17 August in a 1–1 draw against Nottingham Forest and won nine aerial duels. Four months later, he scored his first goal for Bournemouth, becoming the club’s youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer, and helped Bournemouth to a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
On 19 June 2025, it was announced that Huijsen was one of six nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his performances in the previous season with Bournemouth.
Real Madrid
On 17 May 2025, Real Madrid completed the transfer of Huijsen from Bournemouth for a fee of €58 million. The transfer made him the most expensive defender signed by Real Madrid in their history. Huijsen made his debut for the club at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in a group stage match against Al-Hilal on 18 June, which resulted in a 1–1 draw. His La Liga debut followed in August 2025, where he broke a Sergio Ramos record for long ball accuracy as a young defender in his first appearance, contributing to a clean sheet and demonstrating aerial dominance.
Huijsen’s involvement in the 2025-26 La Liga season was occasionally disrupted by injuries. On February 21, 2026, he missed Real Madrid’s away match against Osasuna at Estadio El Sadar due to a calf injury. A month later, on March 15, he scored with a header, helping Real Madrid defeat Elche CF 4-1 at home.
On 21 October 2026, Real Madrid defeated RB Leipzig 4-1 at home. During the match, Huijsen recorded seven interceptions, the joint-most by any player in a single Champions League match this season.
International career
Huijsen began his international football career representing the Netherlands, the country of his birth. He progressed through the Dutch youth setup, playing for the under-17, under-18, and under-19 national teams. During his time with the Dutch youth squads, he captained the under-19 team and achieved a significant milestone as part of the squad that finished as runners-up in the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
Having moved to Marbella at the age of five and spent the majority of his life in Spain, Huijsen became eligible to switch his international allegiance after obtaining Spanish citizenship in February 2024. Following his naturalization, he chose to represent Spain and initially made seven appearances for the Spanish under-21 team. His performances quickly earned him a promotion to the senior level, leading to his first senior call-up for Spain in March 2025. He subsequently made his official senior debut for the Spanish national team that same month.
Huijsen went on to participate in Spain’s international campaigns, featuring in both UEFA World Cup qualification fixtures and UEFA Nations League matches. Although he established himself in the national setup during the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 cycles, he was ultimately left out of Spain’s final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by manager Luis de la Fuente.
Style of play
Huijsen is a modern, ball-playing centre-back distinguished by his exceptional technical skills and distribution. He possesses genuine comfort using both feet, allowing him to pass, carry, and clear the ball effectively from either the left or right side of defense.
On the ball, he demonstrates high composure under pressure, frequently carrying possession forward into midfield to break opposing press lines before launching attacks with precise long-range distribution or diagonal lofted passes. Defensively, he stands nearly two meters tall and utilizes his physical frame to dominate aerial duels while also serving as a consistent goal threat during offensive set pieces.
Personal life
On February 21, 2026, Heusen faced allegations of racism after he reposted an image on Instagram containing derogatory comments mocking the eye shape of Asian people. He later deleted the repost and claimed it was an “accidental touch.” Real Madrid published an apology attributed to the player on the club’s official Weibo account.
