Kluivert began his coaching career as an assistant at AZ and NEC, as well as in Australia with the Brisbane Roar, before managing Jong Twente to a national title in the Dutch reserves league.

He made his debut in the senior team of Ajax on 21 August 1994 at the age of 18 in the Dutch Supercup win against the old arch rival Feyenoord, in which he scored his first goal.

He went on to top score for Ajax in the 1994–95 Eredivisie with 18 goals in 25 appearances,[12] as Louis van Gaal's team won the Dutch championship without losing a match.

[13] The 1994–95 season also saw Kluivert make his mark – along with a host of youngsters from the Ajax youth academy, including Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Edwin van der Sar – on the European stage with a triumph in the UEFA Champions League.

[12] At the end of an injury hit 1996–97 season, in which he made only 17 league appearances, Kluivert joined AC Milan on a Bosman transfer, after rejecting Ajax's offer of a new contract.

Kluivert's career at Milan started well, with the striker scoring a sensational goal against Juventus in the Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi.

Kluivert scored 16 league goals and formed a successful partnership with Rivaldo, which enabled Barça to defend the Spanish La Liga in 1998–99.

[16] Kluivert went on to be the top scorer twice more in his next four seasons at Camp Nou, but the team endured a period of five years without a major trophy after their title success in 1999.

[17] Kluivert scored some classy and crucial goals at home and away from St James' Park, namely in winning strikes against both Chelsea[18] and Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, with both games ending 1–0 to Newcastle.

[27] Kluivert made his full international debut on 16 November 1994 in a European qualifier against the Czech Republic, replacing Youri Mulder after 13 minutes of a 0–0 draw in Rotterdam.

[33] In the next round, he scored a late equalising goal from a header to draw his team level with Brazil in the semi-final, although the Netherlands went on to lose the penalty shootout.

[37] Kluivert would once again enter UEFA Euro 2004 wearing the famous #9 jersey for his country, with the Dutch reaching the semi-finals of the tournament.

Kluivert was the all-time leading goalscorer for the Dutch national team with 40 goals, until he was surpassed by Robin van Persie in 2013.

Kluivert also utilised his height, power and strong physique to dominate aerial balls, and was considered to possess one of the best headers in the then-contemporary game.

On 18 July 2008, it was reported on the football website Goal that Kluivert would be spending the 2008–09 season as a member of the backroom coaching staff of Eredivisie club AZ.

On 5 March 2015, it was announced that Kluivert would take over as manager of the Curaçao national football team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.

[49] On 8 September 2015, Curaçao were eliminated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup third qualifying round by El Salvador, losing 2–0 on aggregate score.

[50] Having helped the country to their best performance yet in World Cup qualifying, Kluivert announced his resignation as head coach on 10 September 2015.

[51] On 24 February 2016, Kluivert announced his decision to remain head coach of Curaçao ahead of the teams' Caribbean Cup qualifying matches against the Dominican Republic and Barbados.

[53] Following his announcement to join Ajax, Kluivert remained head coach of Curaçao for round two of the Caribbean Cup qualifiers, where they faced Guyana and the U.S. Virgin Islands in group three.

[54] On 14 July 2016, it was announced that Kluivert would no longer coach the under-19 team of Ajax, but that he would instead take over the position as director of football for French club Paris Saint-Germain.

[62] On 30 June 2023, Turkish club Adana Demirspor announced the appointment of Kluivert as their new manager by signing a two-year contract.

[68] On 9 September 1995, Kluivert, then 19 years old and still playing for Ajax, was the driver in a car accident in Amsterdam, where a 56-year-old man was killed and a passenger was seriously injured in a collision.

[69][70] The conviction meant that Kluivert needed special documentation to enter the United States when Barcelona played pre-season matches there in 2003.