Mats Knoester is a Dutch professional footballer who developed in Feyenoord’s academy before building a senior career with Heracles Almelo, Ferencváros, AGF and Aberdeen. Away from football, the defender is also a family man and has spoken publicly about the importance of his partner, daughters, parents and siblings.
Although Knoester does not reveal every aspect of his private life, several details about his family are publicly confirmed. He has two daughters and lives with his longtime partner, while his siblings include brothers Cas and Jop Knoester and a sister named Josefine. The names of his mother and father, however, have not been reliably disclosed publicly.
Who Are Mats Knoester’s Parents?
The names of Mats Knoester’s parents have not been reliably revealed in major interviews, official club profiles or established media coverage. Nevertheless, Knoester’s comments over the years make clear that his parents remain important figures in his life.
Knoester was born on November 19, 1998, in Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands. Football became deeply connected to family life because Mats and his older brothers were all talented young players.
The family spent many years travelling to support their sons as they developed through youth football. Mats eventually entered Feyenoord’s academy at a very young age and remained with the Rotterdam club’s development system for approximately 14 years.
His relationship with his parents has continued into adulthood. When Aberdeen reached the Scottish Cup final in 2025, Knoester said that almost his entire family planned to attend the match.
Who Is Mats Knoester’s Father?
Mats Knoester’s father has not been reliably identified by name in widely available public sources. However, Mats has provided several indications that they share a close relationship.
One particularly significant example came after Aberdeen defeated Celtic to win the Scottish Cup in 2025. Knoester decided to give his winner’s medal to his father rather than keep it at his own home.
He later explained that the individual player-of-the-match trophy remained at his house in the Netherlands, while his father had the Scottish Cup medal.
The gesture demonstrated how much his family’s support means to him and allowed his father to keep a permanent reminder of one of the biggest achievements of Mats Knoester’s professional career.
Who Is Mats Knoester’s Mother?
The name of Mats Knoester’s mother has not been reliably disclosed publicly. Information about her occupation and personal background also remains private.
Knoester generally refers to his relatives collectively as his family rather than discussing his mother individually in interviews.
When speaking before Aberdeen’s 2025 Scottish Cup final, he indicated that almost all of his family would be travelling to support him, demonstrating that his relatives remain closely involved in major moments of his career.
Does Mats Knoester Have a Girlfriend?
Mats Knoester has a longtime partner, although her name has not been reliably made public.
Knoester has referred to his partner as his “missus” when discussing his home life in Scotland. His comments indicate that she has moved internationally with him as his football career has taken the family through several European countries.
When discussing settling in Aberdeen, Knoester explained that his partner had adapted quickly to life in Scotland and was accustomed to the lifestyle associated with his professional football career.
Because Knoester has not publicly identified her extensively, reliable information about her profession, age and personal background remains limited.
Who Is Mats Knoester’s Partner?
The identity of Mats Knoester’s partner has not been reliably established in major public sources. Despite occasionally discussing his home life, the Dutch defender has chosen not to make his partner a prominent part of his public football profile.
What is confirmed is that they have built a family together and have two daughters.
Knoester has explained that having his partner and children settled is particularly important because his career has required several international moves. After leaving the Netherlands, he played in Hungary and Denmark before eventually moving to Scotland.
His comments suggest that family stability became an increasingly important consideration when making career decisions.
Is Mats Knoester Married?
It is not publicly clear whether Mats Knoester and his partner are legally married. He has referred to her informally as his “missus,” but reliable sources have not provided clear confirmation of a marriage or wedding.
It is therefore more accurate to describe her as his partner rather than definitively referring to her as his wife unless further confirmation becomes available.
Does Mats Knoester Have Children?
Yes. Mats Knoester has two daughters.
The Aberdeen defender publicly confirmed that he was the father of two girls when discussing his move to Scotland. He explained that having a family meant stability had become especially important at this stage of his football career.
Knoester said he wanted to join a club where he could remain for an extended period rather than continually moving from one country to another.
His two daughters are central to his life away from football. During the 2025/26 season, Knoester revealed that one of his daughters had started primary school in Aberdeen and had settled successfully into her new surroundings.
The names of his daughters have not been widely published in reliable football coverage, and Knoester has generally protected their privacy.
Mats Knoester’s Relationship With His Daughters
Mats Knoester has spoken particularly warmly about being a father. When discussing life in Aberdeen, he explained that seeing his daughter settled at school was important to him.
His comments also demonstrate how his priorities have changed as he has grown older. Earlier in his career, footballing opportunities could be considered primarily from a sporting perspective, but having children means decisions about transfers also affect his entire family.
After winning the Scottish Cup, Knoester kept his player-of-the-match trophy at his home in the Netherlands. He revealed that it had been placed in the living room between photographs of his two daughters.
He described those photographs as representing the most important things in his life, offering a clear indication of the significance he places on fatherhood.
Does Mats Knoester Have Brothers or Sisters?
Yes. Mats Knoester comes from a relatively large family and has publicly documented brothers and a sister.
His older brothers are Cas Knoester, also known as Casper Knoester, and Jop Knoester. Both were talented footballers and spent time in Feyenoord’s academy.
Mats also has a younger sister named Josefine Knoester. Josefine has also played football, making sporting talent a notable feature of the Knoester family.
In 2025, Mats revealed that his sister would be the only close family member unable to travel to Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup final because she was in Australia.
Who Is Cas Knoester?
Cas, whose full name is Casper Knoester, is one of Mats Knoester’s older brothers. He was the first of the three brothers to become heavily involved in football.
Cas started playing with ARC in Alphen aan den Rijn and later attracted the attention of Feyenoord. His opportunity with the Rotterdam club ultimately played an indirect role in Mats’s own football journey.
Mats has explained that when Cas was invited to Feyenoord, he wanted to accompany his older brother. While spending time around the club, Mats was himself noticed because of his enthusiasm for football.
Cas therefore played an important role in the circumstances that eventually led to Mats spending much of his childhood in Feyenoord’s renowned academy.
Who Is Jop Knoester?
Jop Knoester is another of Mats Knoester’s older brothers. Like Cas and Mats, Jop played youth football with Feyenoord.
The three brothers spent large parts of their childhood playing football together, both formally and recreationally. Mats has recalled that their games could become highly competitive because he was the youngest of the three boys and wanted to keep up with his older brothers.
Jop eventually moved away from playing professionally and later became involved in football representation.
His professional relationship with Mats became especially significant when Mats joined Aberdeen. Jop has publicly celebrated helping his younger brother with his career and has described the opportunity to work together as particularly special.
Who Is Mats Knoester’s Sister Josefine?
Josefine Knoester is Mats Knoester’s younger sister. Like her brothers, she has also been involved in football.
Local reporting from Alphen aan den Rijn identified Josefine as a midfielder who had also played centrally in defence. This means all four known Knoester siblings have had a connection to competitive football.
Josefine has largely remained outside the public attention surrounding her brother’s professional career.
However, Mats mentioned his sister before Aberdeen’s 2025 Scottish Cup final, explaining that she was in Australia and therefore unable to join the rest of his family at the match.
The Knoester Brothers and Their Feyenoord Connection
Football formed an unusually strong bond between Mats, Cas and Jop Knoester during their childhood in Alphen aan den Rijn.
Cas was the first of the brothers to pursue football seriously, while Jop and Mats followed. Eventually, all three spent time within Feyenoord’s youth development system.
The brothers regularly played football together at home and on local pitches. Their matches were highly competitive, particularly because Mats was younger and determined to compete with Cas and Jop.
None of the three ultimately made an official senior appearance for Feyenoord, but Mats went on to establish the most prominent professional playing career of the brothers.
He left Feyenoord for Heracles Almelo in 2019 and became an Eredivisie regular before subsequently taking his career abroad.
Mats Knoester’s Family Life in Aberdeen
Family stability played an important role in Mats Knoester’s decision to establish himself at Aberdeen.
After spending periods in the Netherlands, Hungary and Denmark, the defender wanted a club where his family could settle rather than preparing for another move after only a short period.
His experience in Scotland developed positively. Knoester explained that his daughter settled into primary school while his partner also adjusted quickly to life in Aberdeen.
When discussing his routine away from football, he described relatively ordinary family activities such as going for dinner, visiting coffee shops and taking walks.
That stability contributed to his decision to extend his Aberdeen contract until 2029. Knoester said that both he and his family had been made to feel welcome after arriving in Scotland.
FAQ About Mats Knoester’s Family
Who are Mats Knoester’s parents?
The names of Mats Knoester’s parents have not been reliably disclosed publicly. His parents have nevertheless remained supportive figures throughout his football career.
Who is Mats Knoester’s father?
Mats Knoester’s father has not been publicly identified by name in reliable sources. Mats gave his father his Scottish Cup winner’s medal after Aberdeen won the competition in 2025.
Who is Mats Knoester’s mother?
The identity and professional background of Mats Knoester’s mother have not been reliably made public.
Does Mats Knoester have a girlfriend?
Mats Knoester has a longtime partner whom he has referred to as his “missus.” Her name has not been reliably disclosed publicly.
Is Mats Knoester married?
There is no clear reliable public confirmation that Mats Knoester is legally married. It is therefore safest to describe his significant other as his partner.
Does Mats Knoester have children?
Yes. Mats Knoester has two daughters. He has spoken publicly about the importance of his children when discussing his family life and career decisions.
What are Mats Knoester’s daughters called?
The names of Mats Knoester’s two daughters have not been widely disclosed in reliable public football coverage.
Does Mats Knoester have brothers?
Yes. Mats Knoester has two older brothers, Cas Knoester and Jop Knoester. Both spent time in Feyenoord’s academy.
Does Mats Knoester have a sister?
Yes. Mats Knoester has a younger sister named Josefine Knoester, who has also played football.
Who is Jop Knoester?
Jop Knoester is one of Mats Knoester’s older brothers. He previously played football in Feyenoord’s youth system and later became involved in football representation.
Who is Cas Knoester?
Cas, also known as Casper Knoester, is Mats Knoester’s older brother and a former footballer. His involvement with Feyenoord helped create the circumstances in which the club first noticed Mats as a young player.
Where is Mats Knoester from?
Mats Knoester was born in Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands on November 19, 1998.
Gabriel Lucio is a football analyst covering La Liga, focusing on match analysis, tactical trends, and the race for domestic and European positions.
