ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Johan Cruyff Shield

Okay kiddo, the Johan Cruyff Shield is a special soccer match that happens in the Netherlands before the start of the new season. It's named after a really important soccer player named Johan Cruyff who was really good at playing soccer.

The match is played between the team that won the Dutch soccer league championship from the previous season and the team that won the Dutch soccer cup from the previous season. Essentially, it's like a super cool kickoff game for the new season!

The reason it's called a shield is because the winning team gets a special trophy shaped like a shield that they get to keep until the next Johan Cruyff Shield match. It's like their own special prize for playing really well.

So there you have it, kiddo. The Johan Cruyff Shield is a special soccer game that helps kick off the new soccer season in the Netherlands, named after a really good soccer player, and the winning team gets a special trophy shaped like a shield to keep until the next match. Pretty cool, huh?