Axel Witsel facts for kids
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Witsel celebrating the bronze medal with Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 January 1989 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Liège, Belgium | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder, centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | RRC Vottem | |||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | CS Visé | |||||||||||||||
| 1999–2006 | Standard Liège | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | Standard Liège | 148 | (33) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Benfica | 32 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2017 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 122 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Tianjin Quanjian | 36 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Borussia Dortmund | 105 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | Atlético Madrid | 82 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Belgium U15 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005 | Belgium U16 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Belgium U17 | 19 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Belgium U18 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Belgium U19 | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Belgium U21 | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2008– | Belgium | 132 | (12) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 June 2024 (UTC) |
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Axel Witsel (born January 12, 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for the Belgium national team. He used to play in more attacking roles like a central or attacking midfielder.
Witsel started his career at his hometown club, Standard Liège. He played 183 games and scored 42 goals there. He also won five trophies with the team. In 2008, he won the Belgian Golden Shoe award. After playing one season in Portugal for Benfica, he joined Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2012. He won four awards during his time in Russia.
In January 2017, Witsel moved to Tianjin Quanjian in China. He then returned to Europe in August 2018 to play for Borussia Dortmund. With Dortmund, he won the 2019 DFL-Supercup and the 2020–21 DFB-Pokal. His contract with Borussia Dortmund ended in 2022. He then joined Atlético Madrid and played there until his contract ended in 2025.
Witsel first played for the senior national team in 2008. He reached 100 games for Belgium on November 15, 2018. He played for Belgium in the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He also played in the UEFA European Championship in 2016, 2020, and 2024. He helped Belgium finish third in the 2018 World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Standard Liège
On September 17, 2006, Axel Witsel made his first team debut for Standard Liège. He was 17 years old. He came into the game against FC Brussels in the 89th minute. Just eleven days later, he played his first European club game.
In the 2007–08 season, Witsel was 18. He became a very important player for Standard Liège. His team won the Belgian League title that year. He played in a strong young midfield with other Belgian talents, Steven Defour and Marouane Fellaini. In the next season, he scored the winning goal from a penalty in a special playoff game to decide the championship.
On August 30, 2009, Witsel was involved in a difficult moment. During a match between Anderlecht and Standard, he caused a serious injury to another player, Marcin Wasilewski. Witsel was sent off the field. He later apologized for the incident. He received a ban from playing for eight matches.
Moving to Benfica
Witsel signed a five-year contract with the Portuguese club Benfica on July 13, 2011. His contract included a €40 million buyout clause. On August 24, 2011, Witsel scored two goals against FC Twente. This helped Benfica win 3–1 and reach the group stages of the Champions League.
On January 9, 2012, he scored the first goal in a 4–1 win against Vitória de Guimarães. This was in the Taça da Liga competition. Witsel also helped Benfica win the Taça da Liga final on April 14. He was named the Man of the Match in their 2–1 victory against Gil Vicente.
Time at Zenit Saint Petersburg
On September 3, 2012, Witsel joined Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia. He signed a five-year contract for €40 million. He made his debut in the Russian Premier League on September 14. He scored his first two goals for Zenit on November 30 in a 4–2 win against Spartak Moscow.
On September 16, 2014, Witsel scored a goal in Zenit's first match of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League group stage. It was a 2–0 away win against his old club, Benfica. On May 17, 2015, Witsel played the whole game as Zenit drew 1–1 with FC Ufa. This draw helped Zenit win the Premier League title. It was Witsel's first league title with Zenit.
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On July 12, 2015, in the 2015 Russian Super Cup, Witsel scored a penalty in a shootout. Zenit won 4–2 against FC Lokomotiv Moscow after the game ended 1–1.
Playing in China for Tianjin Quanjian
On January 3, 2017, Zenit announced that Witsel had moved to the Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian. He made his debut for Quanjian on March 4 in a 2–0 loss. A week later, he scored the club's first ever goal in the Chinese Super League. This was in a 1–1 draw against Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.
Return to Europe with Borussia Dortmund
On August 6, 2018, Witsel signed a four-year contract with the German club Borussia Dortmund. On August 21, he scored a goal in extra time on his debut for the club. This helped Dortmund win 2–1 in a cup match. Witsel scored his first league goal for Dortmund with an amazing overhead kick. This was in a 4–1 victory over RB Leipzig on August 26.
Time at Atlético Madrid
On July 7, 2022, Atlético Madrid announced that Witsel had joined their club. He signed a one-year contract after his deal with Borussia Dortmund ended. Under coach Diego Simeone, Witsel started playing as a defender in the middle of a three-player defense. On November 12, 2023, he scored his first goal in La Liga in a 3–1 win against Villarreal.
He extended his contract with Atlético Madrid until 2025. He played in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, scoring a goal in a 3–1 group stage win against Seattle Sounders. He then left the club when his contract ended.
International Career
Before playing for the senior national team, Witsel played for the Belgium under-21 team in 2007. He played nine games and helped his team reach the semi-finals of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
On March 26, 2008, Witsel made his first appearance for the senior Belgium team. This was in a friendly game against Morocco. Belgium lost 1–4, but Witsel scored his first goal for the national team.
Witsel scored his first goals in a competitive international match on March 25, 2011, against Austria. He scored two goals in that game. However, Belgium did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2012.
On May 13, 2014, Witsel was chosen for Belgium's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in midfield in their first game, a 2–1 win against Algeria.
Witsel was also part of the Belgian squad for UEFA Euro 2016. He scored his first goal in a tournament during the Championships. This was in a group match against the Republic of Ireland.
He scored two goals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification games. Both goals were in big wins against Gibraltar. Manager Roberto Martínez included him in the squad for the final tournament in Russia. Witsel was also in the Belgian squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The team did not perform well and did not get past the group stage. On March 17, 2023, the new Belgian coach, Domenico Tedesco, did not pick Witsel for the team.
On May 12, 2023, Witsel announced he was retiring from the national team. He had played 130 games for Belgium. However, Witsel later changed his mind. On May 28, 2024, he was included in Belgium's squad for UEFA Euro 2024.
Personal Life
Axel Witsel has three children. His father is from Martinique. When he was a boy, he was a fan of Arsenal.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Standard Liège | 2006–07 | Belgian Pro League | 16 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 2 | |||
| 2007–08 | 33 | 7 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 36 | 8 | |||||
| 2008–09 | 35 | 8 | — | — | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 9 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 11 | |||
| 2010–11 | 37 | 10 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | 43 | 12 | |||||
| Total | 148 | 33 | 7 | 3 | — | 26 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 183 | 42 | |||
| Benfica | 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 2 | — | 49 | 5 | |
| 2012–13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 2 | — | 52 | 5 | |||
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2012–13 | Russian Premier League | 19 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | — | 31 | 5 | ||
| 2013–14 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 4 | |||
| 2014–15 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | — | 42 | 6 | ||||
| 2015–16 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 6 | |||
| 2016–17 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |||
| Total | 122 | 16 | 10 | 2 | — | 46 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 22 | |||
| Tianjin Quanjian | 2017 | Chinese Super League | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 4 | |||
| 2018 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 18 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 47 | 6 | ||||
| Borussia Dortmund | 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 33 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 7 | 1 | — | 43 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 4 | |||
| 2020–21 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |||
| 2021–22 | 29 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 2 | |||
| Total | 105 | 10 | 11 | 1 | — | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 145 | 13 | |||
| Atlético Madrid | 2022–23 | La Liga | 33 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 35 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 2 | |||
| 2024–25 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 1 | |||
| Total | 82 | 2 | 12 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 116 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 524 | 67 | 44 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 141 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 722 | 91 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2008 | 7 | 1 |
| 2009 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 15 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 132 | 12 | |
- Belgium score listed first, score column indicates score after each Witsel goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2008 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | 1 |  Morocco |
1–2 | 1–4 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 17 November 2009 | Stade Louis Dugauguez, Sedan, France | 10 |  Qatar |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 9 February 2011 | Jules Ottenstadion, Ghent, Belgium | 16 |  Finland |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 4 | 25 March 2011 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria | 17 |  Austria |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification | |
| 5 | 2–0 | |||||||
| 6 | 4 September 2014 | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège, Belgium | 52 |  Australia |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 7 | 18 June 2016 | Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France | 69 |  Republic of Ireland |
2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 | |
| 8 | 10 October 2016 | Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé, Portugal | 76 |  Gibraltar |
2–0 | 6–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 9 | 31 August 2017 | Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège, Belgium | 81 | Gibraltar |
3–0 | 9–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 10 | 8 September 2020 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | 107 |  Iceland |
1–1 | 5–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A | |
| 11 | 2 September 2021 | Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia | 115 |  Estonia |
4–1 | 5–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 12 | 8 June 2022 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | 122 |  Poland |
1–1 | 6–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
Honours and Awards
Standard Liège
- Belgian Pro League: 2007–08, 2008–09
- Belgian Cup: 2010–11
- Belgian Supercup: 2008, 2009
Benfica
- Taça da Liga: 2011–12
Zenit
- Russian Football Premier League: 2014–15
- Russian Cup: 2015–16
- Russian Super Cup: 2015
Borussia Dortmund
- DFB-Pokal: 2020–21
- DFL-Supercup: 2019
Belgium National Team
Individual Awards
- Belgian Young Footballer of the Year: 2007–08
- Belgian Golden Shoe: 2008
- O Jogo Team of the Year: 2012
- DH The Best Standard Liège Team Ever: 2020
See also
In Spanish: Axel Witsel para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
