De Jong nears 300 duels at Barcelona, talks about Messi and CL target

Under the bright lights of Camp Nou, the 29‑year‑old Frenkie de Jong is ready to achieve his 300th appearance for FC Barcelona tonight against Aston Villa in the Champions League, a milestone he celebrates with memories of playing alongside Lionel Messi and his leadership role.

When he signed for FC Barcelona in 2019, a boyhood dream came true.

He has now played 299 matches for the club, won several trophies, overcome sporting disappointments and has become one of the captains.

"Now that I play a bit longer and get a bit older, I pause more at moments like this," says the 29‑year‑old De Jong about the 300‑match milestone he can reach tonight in the Champions League against Aston Villa, "just like when I became the Dutch player with the most appearances for Barcelona. That makes me proud."

De Jong is the Dutch player with the most matches for Barcelona; in April he reached his 293rd appearance and thereby passed Philip Cocu (292).

He laughs at the memory of his debut: "Yes, we lost that one to Bilbao. Equaliser from Aduriz…"

Leadership and memories

In the Champions League semi‑final against Internazionale in 2025, thirteen goals were scored over two matches (4‑3 and 3‑3), and in the return leg Barcelona went from 2‑0 down to 2‑2, but a late away goal ruined the comeback.

According to De Jong, Denzel Dumfries provided four assists and two goals in those matches.

One of the most cherished memories after 299 matches is winning the Copa del Rey in 2021, in which he scored in the final and provided two assists.

He remembers Lionel Messi telling him at halftime: "You just have to keep making your runs, you're in a good position in the game," after which he scored the goal and Messi replied: "See now?"

Messi makes life as a teammate easier, is not a show‑off, and everyone listens to what he says; in that sense he is a true leader.

De Jong has now become one of Barcelona's leaders himself, just as he was once warmly welcomed by Sergio Busquets and now supports young players.

"I think a good example leads to following. That's the most important thing as a leader, in everything actually," he explains, comparing it to raising children.

His father was a big fan of Johan Cruyff; as a child they often went on holiday to the region and visited the stadium, and later he saw Barcelona dominate under Pep Guardiola.

He would not swap Barcelona for just anything and has never given up, even in periods when the team did not perform at the desired level.

The biggest trophy still missing is the Champions League; that is a huge goal for him, the club and the squad, and he wants to win it before he stops playing, otherwise it would be a massive disappointment.

Winning the Champions League is not a given; there are always about six teams that set out to win the CL, and he hopes to win it this year, otherwise in the years thereafter.

For the future he hopes to play a lot more; if he stays fit, he is aiming for 500 or more matches.