The midfielder replaced Pedri in the 70th minute of the UEFA Champions League meeting against Aston Villa, which FC Barcelona won 3-0.
De Jong, 29, joined the Blaugranas in 2019 from Ajax, with whom he famously reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals in the 2018/19 season. The Dutchman soon became a stalwart in the Catalans' midfield and first wore the captain's armband in November 2023 against Rayo Vallecano.
De Jong overtook Ronald Koeman and Philip Cocu last season to become Barcelona's Dutch record appearance holder, breaking Cocu's record of 292 appearances in April.
In 300 games for the Catalan giants, De Jong has scored 20 goals and provided 29 assists.



