Mexx Meerdink could hardly have chosen a better way to introduce himself to international football. On his first start for the Netherlands, the 23-year-old AZ Alkmaar striker scored twice in a 2–1 victory over Serbia — delivering Xavi Hernández his first win as Oranje coach and suddenly putting himself into the conversation surrounding the Netherlands’ long-term No. 9 position.
By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi | Founder & Editor, Beyond the Final Whistle
September 28, 2026
One international start. Two goals. Three points.
For Mexx Meerdink, Sunday night in Belgrade represented the kind of breakthrough performance young strikers dream about.
The AZ Alkmaar forward converted a penalty after half an hour before scoring the decisive goal in the 69th minute as the Netherlands defeated Serbia 2–1 in the UEFA Nations League. UEFA described his second as a crisp finish into the bottom corner.
The victory was significant for another reason: it was Xavi Hernández's first win as Netherlands head coach, following the 1–1 draw with Germany in his opening match.
Meerdink's emergence, however, could prove to be the more intriguing long-term development.
Who exactly is the young Dutch striker? Why has Xavi brought him into the senior national team? And could the AZ academy graduate genuinely develop into the Netherlands' next No. 9?
From De Graafschap to AZ's Academy
Meerdink was born in Winterswijk on July 24, 2003, into a football family.
His father, Martijn Meerdink, was himself a professional footballer and was contracted to AZ around the time Mexx was born.
The younger Meerdink began developing at De Graafschap before making an important move in 2019, joining AZ's academy at U-17 level.
His progression reflects the development model AZ continue to place at the centre of the club.
AZ revealed this month that 13 members of their 2026/27 senior squad are academy-developed players, with those players accounting for 69.7% of the club's minutes across their opening seven competitive matches.
Meerdink is now one of the most prominent graduates of that system.
He made his professional debut for Jong AZ against ADO Den Haag in December 2021 before eventually reaching AZ's senior side. His first-team debut arrived against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in March 2023.
But his reputation had already begun growing through one extraordinary European youth campaign.
The Youth League Campaign That Announced Meerdink
Anyone who followed AZ's remarkable 2022/23 UEFA Youth League campaign will already know the name.
Meerdink was devastating.
He finished the competition with nine goals, sharing the Golden Boot, as AZ became the first Dutch club to win the Youth League.
And he saved one of his biggest performances for the final.
With AZ leading Hajduk Split, Meerdink came from the bench and scored twice as the Dutch club demolished their opponents 5–0 in Geneva. He also contributed an assist in the final.
The achievement was particularly remarkable because Meerdink's schedule that week demonstrated just how rapidly he was moving between youth and senior football.
Days earlier, he had scored the decisive penalty as AZ eliminated Anderlecht from the UEFA Europa Conference League, sending the senior team into a European semi-final.
He then travelled to Switzerland and helped the youth team become European champions.
Those moments offered an early indication of something that remains important to Meerdink's game today: he appears comfortable carrying the responsibility of finishing decisive chances.
Sunday's penalty for the Netherlands provided another example.
What Type of Striker Is Mexx Meerdink?
Meerdink is a left-footed centre-forward and now wears AZ's No. 9 shirt.
But describing him simply as a penalty-box striker does not fully capture what makes him interesting.
His most noticeable strength is his movement.
Rather than remaining permanently between two centre-backs waiting for crosses, Meerdink is willing to move across the defensive line, drop toward teammates and then accelerate back into scoring positions.
That movement becomes particularly useful for a possession-heavy team.
Against opponents defending deep, a striker cannot simply wait for space to appear. He often has to create that space through movement — dragging a defender away, attacking a different channel or timing a run behind the defensive line.
Meerdink also brings a strong physical presence.
He can engage centre-backs, protect possession and provide a focal point while still possessing enough technical quality to participate in combinations around the penalty area.
But his most important characteristic remains the one that ultimately defines centre-forwards:
He wants to score.
At youth level, nine goals during AZ's European championship run demonstrated that instinct.
Now he is beginning to show it on the senior international stage.
Why Xavi Turned to Meerdink
Meerdink was not originally expected to carry such an important role during this international window.
AZ confirmed that Xavi called him into the Netherlands squad after Donyell Malen withdrew through injury.
It was Meerdink's second senior call-up. He had previously been invited into the national-team environment in 2025 but was forced out through injury.
His actual Netherlands debut therefore arrived against Germany on September 24.
He came from the bench during the 1–1 draw, the first game of Xavi's tenure.
Three days later came Serbia.
And Xavi gave him his first start.
That decision immediately paid off.
Serbia 1–2 Netherlands: The Night Everything Changed
The Netherlands controlled much of the match in Belgrade but needed someone to turn that control into goals.
Meerdink provided the answer.
After Crysencio Summerville was fouled, the striker stepped forward in the 30th minute and emphatically converted the resulting penalty.
It was his first senior international goal.
Serbia responded immediately after half-time when substitute Luka Jović equalised from close range.
The Netherlands continued pushing.
Ruben van Bommel struck the post.
Then, in the 69th minute, Meerdink struck again.
This time there was no penalty spot.
The AZ forward produced a composed finish into the bottom corner to restore the Netherlands' lead and ultimately secure Xavi's first victory.
Serbia 1–2 Netherlands
Mexx Meerdink: 2 goals
Meerdink consequently sits on two Nations League goals, one behind early leading scorers Erling Haaland and Joel Pohjanpalo after Matchday 2.
For a player with only two senior international appearances, that is some introduction.
Why Meerdink Could Fit Xavi's Netherlands
This is where his emergence becomes especially interesting.
Xavi's football philosophy has traditionally placed enormous importance on possession, positional structure and creating numerical advantages around the ball.
We have already begun examining that transition at Beyond the Final Whistle following the opening Netherlands-Germany meeting of the Xavi and Jürgen Klopp eras:
https://www.beyondthefinalwhistle.com/netherlands-germany-klopp-xavi-nations-league
But possession alone does not win matches.
Teams also need attackers capable of turning territorial dominance into goals.
Against Serbia, Meerdink demonstrated that he can offer something useful at the end of those possession sequences.
His willingness to occupy centre-backs can create space around him.
His movement can stretch a defensive line.
His ability to combine means he does not necessarily have to be isolated from the midfield.
And most importantly, he attacks scoring positions.
For a coach attempting to build a possession-oriented Netherlands team, those qualities could be extremely valuable.
Could Meerdink Become the Netherlands' No. 9?
Two goals should not settle that question.
International football has produced plenty of spectacular debuts that never developed into long-term starting roles.
Meerdink still needs sustained production for AZ and must prove he can deliver consistently against different defensive structures.
The competition will also be significant.
But the conversation has unquestionably changed.
Before this international window, Meerdink was largely an emerging Eredivisie striker attempting to establish himself at senior international level.
After Belgrade, Xavi knows he has another legitimate centre-forward option.
And Meerdink has something particularly valuable on his side:
time.
At 23, his development is nowhere near finished.
If he continues producing for AZ while adapting to Xavi's demands, there is a plausible pathway toward a much bigger Netherlands role.
AZ's Development System Deserves Part of the Credit
Meerdink's breakthrough should also bring attention back to AZ.
The Alkmaar club's academy has quietly developed an impressive reputation for producing players capable of transitioning into senior football.
Meerdink's generation is particularly significant.
The 2023 Youth League champions included several players who have subsequently progressed into AZ's senior environment, while UEFA has highlighted the club as an example of how its youth competition can provide a bridge toward professional football.
Meerdink's journey illustrates that pathway almost perfectly:
De Graafschap → AZ academy → Jong AZ → Youth League champion → AZ first team → Netherlands.
The next step could be the biggest one yet.
The Netherlands May Have Found Another No. 9 Candidate
It is far too early to declare Meerdink the answer to the Netherlands' centre-forward question.
What happened in Belgrade should instead earn him something more useful:
another opportunity.
One start produced two goals.
One penalty demonstrated composure.
One well-taken winner demonstrated his ability to score from open play.
And one performance helped deliver Xavi's first victory as Netherlands coach.
For Meerdink, the challenge now changes.
He is no longer simply trying to reach the international stage.
He has arrived.
Now he has to stay there.
Beyond the Final Whistle, Mexx Meerdink's two-goal performance against Serbia should not be treated as proof that the Netherlands have already found their next long-term No. 9. But his development at AZ, European youth pedigree, penalty-box instincts and immediate impact under Xavi Hernández make him one of the most intriguing Dutch forwards to follow this season.
Was Meerdink's night in Belgrade the beginning of something bigger — and could the AZ striker eventually establish himself as the Netherlands' first-choice No. 9? Join the conversation on Beyond the Final Whistle.
