|
Item |
Details |
|
Full Name |
Matz Willy Els Sels |
|
Date of Birth |
26 February 1992 |
|
Age in 2026 |
34 years |
|
Place of Birth |
Lint, Belgium |
|
Nationality |
Belgian |
|
Height |
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
|
Position |
Goalkeeper |
|
Current Club |
Nottingham Forest |
|
Shirt Number |
26 |
|
Wife |
Joy Hoefman |
|
Children |
Two |
|
Estimated Net Worth |
$21 million to $23 million |
|
Weekly Wage |
Around £50,000 |
|
Contract Until |
30 June 2027 |
Net Worth and Salary
Sels has come a long way from his early days in Belgian football. Icon Polls estimates that his net worth in 2026 sits somewhere between $21 million and $23 million. That number reflects more than a decade of top flight earnings across his stints at Lierse, Gent, Newcastle United, Anderlecht, Strasbourg and now Nottingham Forest, along with image rights, bonuses and the savings he has built up over a careful, low key career.
His current salary at Nottingham Forest sits at around £50,000 per week, which works out to roughly £2.6 million per year before tax. That is a clear bump from the £44,000 a week he was earning under his original Forest deal. The two year extension he signed in mid 2025 keeps him at the City Ground until June 2027 and is a clear sign that the club view him as their long term number one.
Parents
Matz Sels keeps his family completely out of the spotlight. He was born and raised in Lint, a small town in the province of Antwerp in Belgium, and spent his early years there with his parents before joining the youth ranks at Kontich and later Lierse. He has never named his parents in public, nor spoken in any real detail about what they do, but everything about his career suggests they backed his football from the very beginning. He was already training seriously by the time he was seven years old.
Wife
Matz Sels is married to Joy Hoefman. The couple have been together since around 2016 and they share two children. Joy has followed him across three countries as he chased his career, from Belgium to France and now to England. Like most things in his life, his marriage stays well away from the cameras. He very rarely posts photos of his wife or kids on social media, and when he does talk about family in interviews, it is usually about the practical side of life, like moving house and settling the kids into new schools, rather than personal details.
Injury
Sels has been mostly available throughout his career, but a recurring groin problem has crept up in recent seasons. He missed time in October 2024 with a groin issue, picked up another one in December 2025, and a similar injury kept him out for parts of February and March 2026. None of these spells have been long term, but the repeating pattern is starting to attract some attention. The Forest medical team have been working with him on prevention work and so far he has come back each time without losing his place between the sticks.
Nationality
Matz Sels is Belgian. He was born in Lint on 26 February 1992 and has represented his country at every youth level from Under-17 right up to Under-21. He earned his first senior call up back in October 2015 but had to wait a long time for his debut because Thibaut Courtois was the locked in first choice for the Red Devils. Sels finally pulled on the senior shirt in 2021 and has now earned eight caps for Belgium, mostly in friendlies and qualifying matches.
Transfer Values
Sels has had a steady transfer journey. He moved from Gent to Newcastle United in 2016 for about £6.5 million, then on to Strasbourg in 2018 for around £3.5 million. His switch to Nottingham Forest in January 2024 cost roughly £5 million, a fee that already looks like a steal when you stack it against his form since arriving.
Icon Polls puts his current market value at somewhere between 5 million and 7 million euros in mid 2026, with that number nudging up whenever he strings together a run of clean sheets. At 34, he is unlikely to spark a record breaking bid, but he is still a very tradable asset for any club hunting for an experienced, settled goalkeeper.
Frequently Asked Questions about Matz Sels
1. Who is Matz Sels?
Matz Sels is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Nottingham Forest and the Belgium national team.
2. How old is Matz Sels in 2026?
He is 34 years old, having been born on 26 February 1992.
3. Where was Matz Sels born?
He was born in Lint, a town in the Antwerp province of Belgium.
4. What is Matz Sels' nationality?
He is Belgian by birth and nationality.
5. How tall is Matz Sels?
He stands 1.88 metres tall, which is roughly 6 feet 2 inches.
6. What is Matz Sels' net worth in 2026?
Icon Polls estimates his net worth to be between $21 million and $23 million.
7. How much does Matz Sels earn per week?
He earns roughly £50,000 per week at Nottingham Forest, which adds up to about £2.6 million per year.
8. Who is Matz Sels' wife?
He is married to Joy Hoefman, his long term partner.
9. Does Matz Sels have children?
Yes, he and Joy have two children together.
10. What club does Matz Sels play for?
He plays for Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League.
11. When did Matz Sels join Nottingham Forest?
He joined Nottingham Forest on 1 February 2024 from French club Strasbourg.
12. How much did Nottingham Forest pay for Matz Sels?
The transfer fee was around £5 million, a price that now looks like a real bargain.
13. What shirt number does Matz Sels wear?
He wears the number 26 shirt for Nottingham Forest.
14. When does Matz Sels' contract expire?
His current deal at the City Ground runs until 30 June 2027.
15. Has Matz Sels won the Premier League Golden Glove?
Yes, he shared the Premier League Golden Glove with Arsenal's David Raya at the end of the 2024 to 2025 season after keeping 13 clean sheets.
16. Has Matz Sels played for Belgium?
Yes, he has earned eight senior caps for Belgium and represented his country at every youth level from Under-17 through to Under-21.
17. What was Matz Sels' first professional club?
He started his senior career at Lierse in Belgium in 2010 after coming through their youth setup.
18. What injury has affected Matz Sels recently?
He has been dealing with a recurring groin issue, with separate spells out in October 2024, December 2025 and early 2026.
19. Did Matz Sels play in the 2018 World Cup?
He was in Belgium's preliminary squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but did not make the final 23 man list.
20. Why did Matz Sels leave Newcastle United?
His Newcastle spell did not go well after some shaky early performances, so he was loaned to Anderlecht and then sold to Strasbourg in 2018.
21. Is Matz Sels considered one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League?
After winning the Golden Glove and being picked in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2024 to 2025 season, he is widely seen as one of the most consistent number ones in the league.
22. What is Matz Sels' current market value?
Icon Polls puts his market value at roughly 5 million to 7 million euros in 2026.
