Naples honours footballer Dries Mertens
19/06/2025
Dries Mertens, a Leuven footballer with 109 caps for the Belgian national team, has been made an honorary citizen of Naples.
© Shutterstock / Antonio Balasco
Mertens, an extraordinary striker, played for Napoli between 2013 and 2022. He fell in love with the city, and they with him as he eventually became the club’s all-time top scorer, even surpassing Argentinian legend Diego Maradona.
His son was born in Naples and Dries has kept residence in the city despite now playing for Galatasaray. Mertens’ honorary citizenship drew a lot of attention, and the mayor thanked him for everything he’s done for the city.
The 38-year-old continues to excel at his “new” club, winning the Super Lig and the Turkish Cup. What’s next, he himself doesn’t yet know. Only time will tell.