Jorrel Evan Hato is a Dutch professional footballer born on 7 March 2006 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
He plays primarily as a centre-back or left-back and currently features for Premier League club Chelsea as well as the Netherlands national team.
He is known for his composure on the ball, defensive maturity, leadership qualities, and versatility.
Hato was born to a father of Curaçaoan origin who works in construction and a mother with Cape Verdean roots who works as a bookkeeper.
The family lived in Rotterdam-Zuid, close to Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium, and the parents have been described as supportive and grounded in raising their children with discipline and focus.
Siblings
Jorrel has one younger brother named Elgyn Hato.
Elgyn is approximately five years younger than Jorrel and has followed a similar football path.
He began in the youth ranks of Sparta Rotterdam, where he played as a midfielder capable of operating in defence.
In 2024, at around age 13, Elgyn transferred to Ajax’s youth academy, joining the under-14 side, in a move facilitated in part by the clubs’ cooperation agreement.
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Career
Hato’s football journey started near De Kuip with local side De Zwervers before moving through Sportclub Feyenoord amateurs and then Sparta Rotterdam’s youth system from around age nine.
In 2018 he joined Ajax’s academy, where his progress accelerated.
He signed his first professional contract in 2022.
He made his senior debut for Jong Ajax in the Eerste Divisie in the 2022–23 season and broke into Ajax’s first team that same campaign, featuring in the Eredivisie and domestic cup.
By the 2023–24 season he had become a regular starter, logging heavy minutes across league and European competitions despite the club’s challenges, and he continued as a key defender in 2024–25 under manager Francesco Farioli, contributing goals and assists from the back.
In August 2025 he transferred to Chelsea on a long-term contract for a fee reported around £35.5 million.
At Chelsea he has featured in the Premier League, domestic cups, and Champions League, scoring his first goal for the club in the FA Cup.
Internationally he progressed through Netherlands youth teams and earned his senior debut in 2023, accumulating caps while being named in the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Accolades
Hato won the Abdelhak Nouri Trophy for the 2022–23 season and was named Eredivisie Talent of the Month for August 2023.
At the end of the 2024–25 campaign he received the Eredivisie Talent of the Year award (also associated with the Johan Cruijff or Marco van Basten Award).
With Chelsea he reached the FA Cup final in 2025–26 as a runner-up.
He became one of the youngest players to captain Ajax and the youngest member of the club’s Club of 100 after reaching 100 appearances for the first team while still a teenager.
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