Maarten Vincent Paes (; born 14 May 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Eredivisie club Ajax. Born in the Netherlands, he plays for the Indonesia national team.
Club career
NEC In the 2017–18 season, Paes served as a backup goalkeeper to Joris Delle at NEC.
Utrecht In 2018, Paes had the opportunity to join FC Utrecht, where he became the reserve goalkeeper behind David Jensen and Nick Marsman. He made his debut for the club on 19 August 2018, in a 2–0 home victory against PEC Zwolle. Paes was given the opportunity to play as Jensen was ill, and Marsman was absent due to injury. This was his only match for the first team during the 2018/19 season, although he did play several matches for Jong FC Utrecht during that campaign.
At the start of the 2019/20 season, Paes surprisingly became FC Utrecht's first-choice goalkeeper. However, during the winter break, he had an awful shoulder blade injury that required around six months of recuperation. As a result, FC Utrecht chose to loan PSV's Jeroen Zoet for six months during the winter transfer window. Zoet had lost his starting spot early in the season to Lars Unnerstall.
The 2020/21 season was a rollercoaster for FC Utrecht's goalkeeping position. Paes started the season as the first-choice goalkeeper, but after a few games, he was replaced by Thijmen Nijhuis. Following the departure of John van der Brom, Paes returned to the starting lineup for a brief while. Ultimately, Eric Oelschlägel made the most appearances in goal that season.
Paes was sidelined from the starting lineup for the 2021/22 season, with Fabian de Keijzer taking over during the winter. However, an injury to Fabian de Keijzer in early May allowed Eric Oelschlägel to walk onto the pitch, becoming one of three goalkeepers to do so that season.
FC Dallas On 20 January 2022, Paes joined MLS side FC Dallas on a six-month loan. On 24 June 2022, Dallas exercised the option to make the transfer permanent.
Ajax
On 2 February 2026, Paes officially joined Eredivisie club Ajax on a three and a half-year contract until 30 June 2029. On 21 February 2026, Paes made his debut in a 1–1 draw against NEC, in which he made 7 saves.
On 24 May 2026, Paes helped the team advanced to the 2026–27 UEFA Conference League second qualifying round in a penalty shootout by saving two penalties kick against his former club, Utrecht in the European competition play-off final.
International career Paes was a member of the Netherlands under-19 squads for both 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, but he did not appear in any games, serving as backup to Yanick van Osch and Justin Bijlow respectively.
In January 2024, Paes confirmed that he had decided to represent Indonesia at international level. He was eligible to represent Indonesia through his maternal grandmother who was born in Kediri.
On 30 April 2024, he received Indonesian citizenship through naturalization, then needing permission from FIFA to become eligible to play for the national team. Having originally declared for the nation in January 2023, he was found to be ineligible, as he had represented the Netherlands under-21s at 22 years old, running into a FIFA regulation declaring that a player who has appeared for a national team at a competitive level over the age of 21 cannot change their national team. On 18 August 2024, PSSI chairman Erick Thohir announced that the change of his sports citizenship from Dutch to Indonesian has been officially approved by FIFA, making him available for the Indonesia national football team after a lengthy process.
In September 2024, Paes was called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He made his debut on 5 September in a 1–1 draw against Saudi Arabia. In the match, Paes committed a foul inside the penalty box but managed to save the ensuing penalty kick by Salem Al-Dawsari. As a result, he was named the man of the match.
In the next match on 10 September 2024 against Australia, Paes managed to keep a clean-sheet in a 0–0 draw.
Personal life
Paes was born and raised in the Netherlands. His maternal grandmother, who was ethnically Dutch, was born in Kediri, East Java, when it was called the Dutch East Indies.
On 8 March 2024, FC Dallas announced that Paes had obtained a United States green card, granting him permanent resident status in the United States and counting him as a domestic player under MLS roster rules.
Paes was also seen to be eligible to represent Indonesia at international level as a result of his background. Paes' naturalization initially faced legal issue because his grandmother was not actually Indonesian despite being born in Kediri. Indonesia follows jus sanguinis, and not jus soli. Paes later received citizenship from President Joko Widodo for his achievement in sports and therefore he became eligible to represent Indonesia at international level.
On 30 April 2024, Paes officially obtained Indonesian citizenship.
Career statistics
Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsNEC 2016–17Eredivisie0000——002017–18Eerste Divisie0000——00Total0000——00Jong Utrecht 2018–19Eerste Divisie9000——902019–209000——90Total18000——180Utrecht 2018–19Eredivisie1000——102019–201801000—1902020–218010——902021–2217020——190Total4404000—480FC Dallas2022Major LeagueSoccer32000—20340202330000—60360202430030—20350202522010—00230Total114040—1001280Ajax 2025–26Eredivisie11000—201302026–27100040—50Total120004020180Career total188080401202120
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsIndonesia202460202540202640Total140
Honours FC Dallas Copa Tejas: 2024
Indonesia FIFA ASEAN Cup: 2026 FIFA Series runner-up: 2026
Individual MLS All-Star: 2024 MLS Save of the Year: 2024 PSSI Awards Men's Goalkeeper of the Year: 2026
See also List of Indonesia international footballers born outside Indonesia
References
External links
Profile at the FC Dallas website
Maarten Paes at Voetbal International