Joris Mathijsen is a Dutch former footballer who played as a centre-back. Currently he is the director of football at Willem II.
On 17 November 2004, Mathijsen made his international debut for the Netherlands against Andorra in a 3–0 away win.
Since his international debut, Mathijsen became a mainstay figure in the national team, especially after impressing with Hamburger SV. He was usually positioned as left central defender, because of his strong left-foot. He was called up to the Dutch squad for UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Initially in danger of losing his spot to Wilfred Bouma, he followed it up with a decent enough performance at the Euro 2008 and remained first-choice.
Mathijsen was ever present for Oranje during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying. He played more minutes than any other player in the Dutch squad and played a key role in their record of having conceded the fewest goals in their qualifying group.
