Maxim De Cuyper in 2026: Net Worth and Salary, Transfer, Injury and Frequently Asked Questions

Maxim De Cuyper is one of the most attacking left-backs in the Premier League right now, and Brighton fans are slowly figuring out just how good he really is. The Knokke-Heist born Belgian arrived at the Amex Stadium in July 2025 from Club Brugge for a fee of around 17.5 million pounds, and he has spent his first season making the left-back role his own. He scores goals, creates chances at a rate few defenders in Europe can match, and has the kind of attacking energy that fits perfectly into Fabian Hurzeler's tactical setup.

In this piece we go through everything fans are searching for about Maxim De Cuyper in 2026. His net worth, his salary at Brighton, the story of his transfer from Club Brugge, his injury record, and a long list of the questions people keep typing into Google and asking AI chatbots about him. Icon Polls has put it all into one simple read.

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Who Is Maxim De Cuyper?

Maxim Peter M. De Cuyper is a Belgian professional footballer born on 22 December 2000 in Knokke-Heist, a coastal town in West Flanders, Belgium. He plays as a left-back or left midfielder for Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion and for the Belgium national team. He is 25 years old in 2026 and is widely regarded as one of the most creative attacking full-backs in European football.

De Cuyper joined the Club Brugge youth academy at the age of seven in 2008, after starting his junior career at local club KFC Heist a/z. He came through every age group at Brugge, made his senior debut in 2020 against Manchester United in the Europa League at the age of 19, spent two seasons on loan at Westerlo to gain regular minutes, and then established himself as one of the best left-backs in the Belgian top flight from 2023 onwards. Brighton paid 17.5 million pounds for him in July 2025 on a five year contract until 2030.

He is left footed, stands at 1.82 metres tall, and has the kind of crossing range and goal threat from defence that very few players in Europe can match. He scored a famous winner against Chelsea away from home in his first season at Brighton, has been one of the team's main set piece takers, and has built a strong understanding with attacking teammates like Kaoru Mitoma, Yankuba Minteh, and Carlos Baleba.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

De Cuyper grew up in Knokke-Heist, a quiet coastal town near the Dutch border in West Flanders. He started his football journey at the local club KFC Heist a/z at the age of five, before being spotted by Club Brugge at the age of seven. He joined the Brugge academy in 2008 and would spend the next 17 years at the club, working his way up through every youth age group.

By the time he was 18 he was registering eight assists in just 18 matches for the Brugge U19 side, which was already a clear sign of his attacking quality from full-back. He made his senior debut on 20 February 2020 against Manchester United in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 32 at Jan Breydelstadion, starting and playing 73 minutes in a 1 to 1 draw. He started again in the second leg at Old Trafford a week later, although Brugge fell 5 to 0 in front of an empty stadium. It was a baptism of fire, but it told the football world that this kid was ready.

Two seasons on loan at Westerlo from 2021 to 2023 followed, where he played regular Belgian Pro League minutes, scored his first senior goals, and even took penalties as a young loan player. He returned to Brugge in summer 2023 and quickly became their first choice left-back. Across his next two seasons at the club he played in three title winning campaigns, scored important goals, and helped Brugge reach the Champions League round of 16 in the 2024 to 2025 season. By the summer of 2025 every Premier League club with a left-back vacancy was watching him.

Transfer Story and Career Moves

Here is a clean breakdown of how Maxim De Cuyper's career has progressed through the transfer market.

Club Brugge to Westerlo (August 2021, loan): A loan move that gave him regular Belgian Pro League minutes for two full seasons until summer 2023.

Westerlo to Club Brugge (June 2023, return): Returned to the Jan Breydelstadion as one of the most exciting young left-backs in Belgium and quickly became first choice.

Club Brugge to Brighton (5 July 2025): A reported fee of around 17.5 million pounds, equivalent to roughly 20 million euros, on a five year contract until June 2030.

As of 2026, his market value sits in the range of 22 to 25 million euros on public registers. Icon Polls notes that this is already a significant rise from the fee Brighton paid less than a year ago, and that the figure could climb further if he keeps producing the goal and assist numbers we have seen in his early Premier League season. With his contract running until 2030, Brighton hold all the leverage in any future transfer talks.

Net Worth and Salary in 2026

This is the section most readers came looking for, so let us get straight to it. Icon Polls estimates that Maxim De Cuyper's net worth in 2026 sits between 6 million and 9 million dollars. That figure reflects his five years of professional contracts at Club Brugge including the title winning seasons, his Westerlo loan wages, his Belgium international fees and tournament bonuses including the 2024 Euros, his current Brighton contract, and the kind of property and savings most players in their mid twenties begin building once their career reaches the European top tier.

On the salary side, public reports place his Brighton wage in the region of 50,000 to 70,000 pounds per week, working out to roughly 2.6 million to 3.6 million pounds a year before bonuses. That is consistent with the wage tier expected for a 17.5 million pound full-back in his mid twenties at Brighton. Add in performance bonuses, appearance bonuses, clean sheet incentives, and any image rights payments, and the full package is more substantial than the base figure alone.

It is worth pointing out that De Cuyper has been smart about how he handles the money side of his career. He came up at one club for 17 straight years, lived close to home in Belgium for most of his career, and has built his finances steadily rather than through speculative investments. Most reports suggest his approach to wealth mirrors his approach to football, calm, professional, and long term focused. Icon Polls expects his salary to be revised significantly upwards if he keeps his current form, especially with five full years of his Brighton contract still to run.

Injury History

Injuries have been a small but notable part of De Cuyper's first Brighton season. He picked up a knee injury in mid September 2025 against Bournemouth when he chased a long Lewis Dunk pass, fell into the advertising hoardings on Bournemouth's right hand corner flag, and had to be taken off in the 24th minute for treatment. The fall on the outside of his knee caused concern that he could have stretched his MCL, but the injury turned out to be less serious than initially feared. He missed only one match before returning to the squad.

In January 2026 he had to deal with a non football issue when he was sidelined by an illness that kept him out of two consecutive matches across all competitions. Fabian Hurzeler confirmed in his pre Fulham press conference on 23 January 2026 that De Cuyper was back available after recovering, saying the team had survived the bug filled phase of the season and that things were looking better in terms of overall squad availability.

Other than those two short interruptions, De Cuyper has been a regular fixture in the Brighton lineup throughout the 2025 to 2026 season. He started four straight matches at the beginning of the campaign before the knee injury, returned in time for the Chelsea match where he scored his first Brighton goal, and has played a key role in the team's results since. Icon Polls expects him to remain a fixture in the Brighton lineup for the rest of the season, providing he avoids any new setbacks. His durability has otherwise been a strength throughout his career.

Playing Style and Role at Brighton

De Cuyper is the modern attacking left-back taken to its logical extreme. He is more attacker than defender at full pace, although Hurzeler has worked carefully with him to tighten up his defensive positioning since arriving in England. His crossing is genuinely elite. In the 2024 to 2025 Belgian Pro League season at Club Brugge he created 90 chances, which was not just the most of any defender by a huge margin but the second most of any player in the entire Belgian top flight. His shot output, his crossing volume, and his ability to deliver dangerous balls into the box from open play and set pieces are what set him apart.

At Brighton he has settled into the left-back role made vacant by the summer 2025 departure of Pervis Estupinan to AC Milan. He has averaged 11 crosses in some of his Premier League matches, including five accurate crosses in a 1 to 1 draw with West Ham, and has scored important goals from open play. He also takes penalties, which is a skill he polished during his Westerlo loan, and is one of the more reliable Brighton set piece takers under Hurzeler. His aerial defensive ability is improving, and his teammates have praised the energy he brings to training every day.

International Career with Belgium

De Cuyper made his senior Belgium debut on 5 June 2024 in a friendly against Montenegro at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2 to 0 win. He was then named in Belgium's squad for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany, where he was an unused substitute in all four of the Red Devils' games as Belgium were eliminated in the round of 16. Despite not getting on the pitch, the tournament experience was a major step forward for him at international level.

He scored his first international goal for Belgium on 10 October 2024 in a 2 to 2 UEFA Nations League draw against Italy, which was a moment that confirmed his growing senior team status. He has since added two more international goals, scoring against Ukraine in the Nations League and against North Macedonia during 2026 World Cup qualifying. As of early 2026 he has earned 10 plus senior caps for Belgium and three goals, putting him firmly in Rudi Garcia's plans for the upcoming World Cup. With Belgium aiming for a strong showing in the United States, De Cuyper is one of the players the Red Devils will be relying on heavily.

Honours and Career Highlights

Despite still being only 25 years old, De Cuyper already has a respectable trophy cabinet. With Club Brugge he won three Belgian Pro League titles, one Belgian Cup, and one Belgian Super Cup. He played in multiple UEFA Champions League and Europa League campaigns, helping Brugge reach the Champions League round of 16 in the 2024 to 2025 season.

On a personal level his standout statistical achievement was the 90 chances created in the Belgian Pro League in his final season at Brugge, which was the second highest in the entire division and the most of any defender in Europe. He was also a regular in Belgian Pro League team of the season nominations during his last few years at the club. His move to Brighton now gives him the chance to add Premier League honours to that list, with Brighton aiming to compete for European places again in 2026 to 2027.

Personal Life

De Cuyper is famously low key off the pitch. He keeps his personal life largely private, focusing on his football and his family rather than chasing the celebrity lifestyle. There is no publicly confirmed wife or long term partner discussed in interviews, although that is consistent with how he has handled his career generally. He prefers a quiet life with people close to him, and his social media is mostly football and training content.

He has stayed close to his roots in Knokke-Heist and the wider Brugge area for most of his life. The move to Brighton in summer 2025 was the first time he had ever lived outside Belgium, and he has spoken in interviews about how he has enjoyed the south coast lifestyle and the welcoming Brighton dressing room. His agent is AXL, a respected Belgian football agency, and he is represented by people who have been with him since his early Brugge days. That kind of stability around him is part of why his career has progressed so smoothly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Maxim De Cuyper

Maxim De Cuyper is 25 years old in 2026. He was born on 22 December 2000 and will turn 26 in late December 2026.

His net worth is estimated to sit between 6 million and 9 million dollars in 2026.

He stands at 1.82 metres, which is about 5 feet 11 inches tall.

He is Belgian. He was born in Knokke-Heist in the West Flanders region and represents Belgium at senior international level.

He plays for Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League and has been with the club since July 2025.

Public reports place his wage in the region of 50,000 to 70,000 pounds per week, which works out to roughly 2.6 million to 3.6 million pounds a year before bonuses.

He joined Brighton on 5 July 2025 from Club Brugge for a reported fee of around 17.5 million pounds on a five year contract until June 2030.

Brighton paid around 17.5 million pounds, equivalent to roughly 20 million euros, to Club Brugge for him in summer 2025.

His market value sits at around 22 to 25 million euros on public registers as of early 2026.

He plays as a left-back. He can also play as a left midfielder when needed, given his attacking style and crossing ability.

He is left footed, which is one of the reasons he is so highly rated as a modern left-back.

He had a knee injury in September 2025 after colliding with the advertising hoardings against Bournemouth, which kept him out for around two weeks. He also missed two matches in January 2026 due to illness, but recovered fully and returned for the Fulham fixture.

Yes. He spent his entire career at Club Brugge from 2008 to 2025, including academy years, senior team appearances, and a two year loan spell at Westerlo. He won three Belgian Pro League titles, one Belgian Cup, and one Belgian Super Cup with Brugge.

Yes. He played for Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League, helping the club reach the round of 16 during the 2024 to 2025 season. He made multiple Champions League appearances and was one of Brugge's chance creators in the competition.

Yes. He was named in Belgium's squad for UEFA Euro 2024, although he was an unused substitute in all four of Belgium's games at the tournament.

He has scored three senior international goals for Belgium, against Italy, Ukraine, and North Macedonia, across friendlies, the UEFA Nations League, and 2026 World Cup qualifying.

He was born in Knokke-Heist, a coastal town in the West Flanders region of Belgium, near the Dutch border.

Yes. He spent two seasons on loan at Westerlo from August 2021 to summer 2023, where he gained regular Belgian Pro League minutes and even took penalties despite being a young loan player.

He wears the number 3 shirt at Brighton.

He is represented by AXL, a Belgian football agency that has worked with him since his early Club Brugge days.

Yes. He scored Brighton's winning goal at Stamford Bridge in their 3 to 1 victory over Chelsea during the 2025 to 2026 Premier League season. It was his first goal for the club.

His current Brighton contract runs until 30 June 2030, following the five year deal he signed when he joined the club in July 2025.

Maxim De Cuyper has done what every well thought out summer signing should do. He has fitted into Brighton's attacking style without disrupting it, scored important goals from defence, brought big game experience from the Champions League and the Belgian Pro League, and become a fan favourite within his first season at the Amex Stadium. His chance creation numbers are some of the best you will see from any left-back in Europe, and his goal scoring rate from defence is genuinely rare. At 25 years old, he is in the early peak of his career.

The numbers in this piece, from a net worth estimated between 6 million and 9 million dollars to a market value of around 22 to 25 million euros, are only one part of the picture. The rest is in the football. The crosses, the goals, the penalties, the energy in pressing situations, and the fearless attacking runs that scream to be on the highlight reel. With five full years left on his Brighton contract and a Belgium World Cup campaign on the horizon in summer 2026, the next 12 months could turn De Cuyper from a smart Brighton signing into one of the better full-backs in the entire Premier League.