Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈraːfaːɛl vɑn dɛr ˈvaːrt]; born 11 February 1983) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Betis and the Netherlands national team as an attacking midfielder.

Van der Vaart began his career at AFC Ajax's youth academy and worked his way into the first team, debuting as a 17-year-old. His impact was so stunning that he was hailed as the new Johan Cruyff. He was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and became the first recipient of the Golden Boy Award while at the club. He moved to Bundesliga club Hamburger SV, then to Real Madrid, then on to Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Hamburg in 2012.