Blaise Matuidi facts for kids
Matuidi playing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2012
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Blaise Matuidi | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 April 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Toulouse, France | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1998 | US Fontenay-sous-Bois | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | CO Vincennes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Créteil | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | INF Clairefontaine | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Troyes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Troyes | 67 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Saint-Étienne | 132 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2017 | Paris Saint-Germain | 203 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Juventus | 98 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Inter Miami | 47 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 547 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | France U19 | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | France U21 | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2019 | France | 84 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Blaise Matuidi (born 9 April 1987) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder and was known for his energy. Blaise played for big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. He also played for the France national team.
Matuidi started his football journey at amateur clubs in France. In 2000, he joined the famous Clairefontaine academy. He became a professional player with Troyes in 2004. After three seasons, he moved to Saint-Étienne. There, he played in a European competition for the first time. This was the UEFA Cup (now called the Europa League). He even became captain for a short time in the 2009–10 season.
In 2011, Matuidi joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). This club had just gotten new owners. He won many trophies with PSG, including four Ligue 1 titles in a row. In 2017, he moved to the Italian team Juventus. He won the league title three times with them. He also won the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana. Later, he played for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami for two seasons. He officially retired from football in 2022.
Blaise Matuidi also played for France's youth teams. He played for the under-19 and under-21 squads. In 2010, he was called up to the senior national team. He played in two UEFA European Football Championships and two FIFA World Cups. He helped France win the 2018 FIFA World Cup and was a runner-up at Euro 2016.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Football
Blaise Matuidi was born and grew up in Toulouse, France. His father was from Angola, and his mother was from the Congo. He has four brothers and sisters. His family later moved to Fontenay-sous-Bois, a suburb of Paris.
Blaise loved football from a young age. He enjoyed watching Paris Saint-Germain play. He especially admired the player Jay-Jay Okocha.
Starting His Journey
Matuidi began playing football at age six for his local club, US Fontenay-sous-Bois. After five years, he joined CO Vincennes. There, he played with Yacine Brahimi for a year. In 1999, he was chosen for the famous INF Clairefontaine academy. This academy helps train young French football talents.
He trained at Clairefontaine during the week. On weekends, he still played for Vincennes. In 2001, Matuidi moved to the club Créteil. He quickly became a top young player there. Even though big clubs like Lyon were interested, he chose to sign with Troyes. He liked their training facilities the most.
Playing for Big Clubs
Troyes and Saint-Étienne
Matuidi started his professional career with Troyes in 2004. He played for their reserve team first. Soon, he was called up to the main team. He made his professional debut in November 2004. In the next season, he became a regular starter. He scored his first professional goal in January 2006. It was a great volley against Lille.
In 2007, Matuidi joined Saint-Étienne. He quickly became a key player in their midfield. He helped the team finish fifth in the league. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup. During his time at Saint-Étienne, big clubs like Arsenal and Milan noticed him. He played in the UEFA Cup, reaching the Round of 16.
In 2009, Matuidi was named captain of Saint-Étienne for a while. This showed how important he was to the team. He had a strong personality on the field.
Paris Saint-Germain Success
In July 2011, Matuidi moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He was seen as a replacement for the legendary Claude Makélélé. He quickly became a vital player for PSG. He helped them win the Ligue 1 title in 2013. This was PSG's first league title in 19 years!
He scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in 2012. It was against Dinamo Zagreb. He even scored a late goal against Barcelona in a Champions League quarter-final. Matuidi was named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year in 2013 and 2016. He helped PSG win four league titles in a row. He also won many other domestic cups with the club.
Juventus and Inter Miami
In August 2017, Matuidi joined Italian giants Juventus. He signed a three-year contract. He made his debut shortly after joining. He scored his first goal for Juventus in December 2017.
With Juventus, he continued his winning ways. He won the Serie A title three times in a row. He also won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana. He played over 130 games for Juventus.
In August 2020, Matuidi moved to the United States. He joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. He played for two seasons there. On 23 December 2022, Blaise Matuidi announced his retirement from professional football. He had a long and successful career of 18 years.
International Career with France
Matuidi played for France's youth teams before joining the senior squad. He played for the under-19 and under-21 teams. He made his under-19 debut in 2005. He later played many games for the under-21 team.
In August 2010, Matuidi was called up to the senior national team. He made his debut in September 2010. He became a regular player for France.
He played in Euro 2012, though he didn't play much due to injury. He helped France qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first international goal in a friendly match against the Netherlands in 2014. He scored two more goals in a warm-up match before the World Cup.
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Matuidi scored his first competitive international goal. It was against Switzerland. He was a key player in France's midfield.
In 2016, Matuidi was part of France's squad for Euro 2016. France reached the final but lost to Portugal.
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The biggest moment came in 2018. Matuidi was called up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played a crucial role, often on the left wing. On 15 July, France won the World Cup! They beat Croatia 4–2 in the final. Matuidi was a World Cup winner!
How He Played
Blaise Matuidi was known for his incredible energy and hard work. He was a strong tackler and great at winning the ball back. He had excellent stamina and could run all over the field. People often called him a "box-to-box" midfielder. This means he could help in defense and also join attacks.
He was very disciplined and smart about where to be on the field. This helped him break up opponent's plays. Even though he wasn't known for fancy tricks, he was a very versatile team player. He could pass the ball well and start new attacks. His movement often created space for his teammates. He could also make runs into the penalty box and score goals.
Sometimes, he played in a more attacking role on the left side. During the 2018 World Cup, he played as a left winger. This was unusual for a midfielder, but he did it well. He helped defend against opposing players on the wing. This also allowed other attacking players, like Kylian Mbappé, to focus on scoring. He was a left-footed player. He was also praised for being consistent and having a strong mindset.
Off the Field
In May 2016, Blaise Matuidi released his autobiography. It was called "Au bout de mes rêves" (At the End of My Dreams).
In 2018, he was recognized for his charity work. He was named "champion for peace" by the organization Peace and Sport. His organization, 'Tremplin Blaise Matuidi', helps young people from tough areas get back on track.
Honours
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Coupe de France: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Trophée des Champions: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Juventus
- Serie A: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Coppa Italia: 2017–18
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2018
France
Individual
- Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2012–13, 2015–16
- French Player of the Year: 2015
- Globe Soccer Awards Player Career Award: 2018
Orders
See also
In Spanish: Blaise Matuidi para niños
