He has participated in Netherlands nation’s teams U17, U19, U20, U21, and U23. Babel received recognition for Man of the Match in the UEFA U-21 2007 Finals, UEFA U-21 Team of the Tournament in 2007, 2006-2007 AFC Ajax Talent of the Year, and 2007-2008 Liverpool FC Young Player of the Season. After buying out his contract with Hoffenheim due to manager disputes, Babel briefly became a free agent before re-signing with Ajax. He is currently a member of the Dutch national football team and has been since 2005.