Valencia didn't pay a cent for Justin de Haas. In a summer when clubs spend heavily on centre backs who look good on a highlight reel, they picked up a 26-year-old who had just started all 33 of his league games in Portugal, played every minute of them, and scored six goals from the back. He's tall, he's left-footed, and he arrived because his Famalicao contract ran out.
That combination doesn't come along often. Whether it pays off in La Liga is the question that will define his next four years.
Vital statistics
| Full name | Justin de Haas |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 February 2000, Zaandam, Netherlands |
| Age | 26 |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Height and weight | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in), around 87 kg (192 lbs) |
| Position | Centre back, usually on the left side |
| Stronger foot | Left |
| Club | Valencia CF (La Liga), shirt number 12 |
| Contract | Until 2030 |
| Former clubs | Famalicao, NK Lokomotiva, Dinamo Zagreb (loan), Jong PSV, Jong AZ |
| International | Netherlands U16, U17 and U18 |
| FC 26 rating | 75 overall, 80 potential |
The long way to Mestalla
Plenty of Dutch defenders who come through AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven end up in the Eredivisie or vanish from view. De Haas did neither. He came up through the AZ academy, moved to PSV in 2019 and played for Jong PSV in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier. The breakthrough at Philips Stadion never came.
So he went east. A 2020/21 loan to Dinamo Zagreb's second team was followed, once he left PSV as a free agent, by a permanent move to NK Lokomotiva Zagreb. Croatia isn't a glamorous stop, but it gave him what Dutch reserve football couldn't: regular senior minutes in a top division. He also won the Arena Cup with Lokomotiva in 2023.
It's a familiar route for players who don't break through at a big academy. Fewer of them turn it into a La Liga contract.
Famalicao, and the season that changed his market
The move to FC Famalicao in 2023 is where the story turns. Over three seasons he grew into one of the steadier centre backs in the Primeira Liga, and the last of them, 2025/26, was the kind of campaign that gets a player noticed outside Portugal.
- 33 league appearances, all of them starts
- Every minute played, which tells you about both fitness and how much his coach trusted him
- 6 league goals, a strong return for a centre back
- Primeira Liga Defender of the Month for August 2025
Famalicao finished fifth that season. For a club of their size that's an excellent result, and a defender who never left the pitch had a lot to do with it. The goals matter too. Six is enough to suggest he's a real threat at set pieces, not just someone who scored a couple of lucky ones.
What Valencia are getting
At 1.94 metres, De Haas is built for aerial duels, and that's the first thing anyone will notice. The more interesting part of his game is what happens after he wins the ball. He's comfortable starting attacks from deep, and a left-footed centre back who can play a clean pass into the left channel opens angles a right-footer on that side simply can't.
That's why left-sided central defenders are in demand, and why a free one was worth Valencia's attention. He moves better than his size suggests, though the step up in pace and pressing from Portugal to Spain will test that.
Fair caveats: he has no senior Netherlands caps, he has never played in the Champions League, and before this summer he had never played in one of Europe's top five leagues. His record is strong, but it was built outside the spotlight. La Liga will show quickly whether Famalicao's ever-present can be Valencia's.
On the console: FC 26
For career mode players, his SoFIFA rating has followed his real form. He went from 70 overall in FC 25 to 75 in FC 26, with an 80 potential. His standout attributes:
| Attribute | Rating |
|---|---|
| Strength | 87 |
| Jumping | 82 |
| Aggression | 79 |
| Standing tackle | 76 |
| Defensive awareness | 75 |
| Sliding tackle | 74 |
| Heading accuracy | 71 |
He's listed as a left centre back with medium/medium work rates, 2-star skill moves, a 3-star weak foot, and the Long Ball Pass and Intercept playstyles. In career mode that adds up to a cheap, physical defender who keeps improving. He won't win games alone, but he'll fill a gap in your back line for years.
Money: what's known and what isn't
Valencia have not published his salary, and neither did Famalicao. Anything more precise than "a clear raise" is guesswork. A move from Portugal to one of Europe's big five leagues almost always brings a significant pay rise, and a free transfer usually helps, since the club can put the saved fee into wages and a signing bonus.
With that in mind, Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $1.5 million to $2.5 million, built mainly from club wages and bonuses across the Netherlands, Croatia and Portugal. There are no major endorsement deals on record.
Market valuations vary too. FotMob data puts him at around 2.1 million euros, while other sources place him closer to 5 million euros. Those are third-party estimates, not real prices. His actual transfer history is a run of free moves and loans, which makes Valencia's deal look like sensible business whichever number you believe.
Think he could one day join the conversation about football's best? Players start a long way from that, but you can have your say on who already belongs there in our vote for the best football players of all time.
Quick answers
Is Justin de Haas left-footed?
Yes. He's a natural left-footer and usually plays on the left of a central pairing or a back three.
How long is his Valencia contract?
He signed a four-year deal in July 2026 that runs until 2030.
Has he played for the Netherlands senior team?
No. He represented the Netherlands at Under 16, Under 17 and Under 18 level but has not yet received a senior call-up.
