Dimitri Payet facts for kids

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Dimitri Payet

Payet with Marseille in 2021

Personal information

Date of birth

29 March 1987 (age 38)

Place of birth

Saint-Pierre, Réunion, France

Height

1.75 m

Playing position

Attacking midfielder

Club information

Current club

Vasco da Gama

Number

Youth career

1995–1998

Saint-Philippe

1998–1999

Saint-Pierroise

1999–2003

Le Havre

2003–2004

AS Excelsior

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2004–2005

AS Excelsior

(12)

2005–2007

Nantes

(5)

2007–2011

Saint-Étienne

129

(19)

2011–2013

Lille

(18)

2013–2015

Marseille

(15)

2015–2017

West Ham United

(11)

2017–2023

Marseille

187

(46)

2023–

Vasco da Gama

(7)

National team

2007–2008

France U21

(4)

2010–2018

France

(8)

Honours


Men's football
Representing France
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up	2016

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 02:22, 25 January 2025 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

Dimitri Payet (born on March 29, 1987) is a French professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder for the Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. Payet is famous for his amazing free kicks that curve into the goal. He is also known for his excellent dribbling skills and great technique with the ball.

Payet grew up on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. He started playing football for local clubs there. In 1999, he moved to France to join Le Havre. After four years, he went back to Réunion to play for AS Excelsior. In 2005, he joined FC Nantes and later moved to AS Saint-Étienne in 2007. With Saint-Étienne, he played in a big European competition called the UEFA Europa League. He even won an award for being the best player of the month in September 2010.

In 2011, Payet joined Lille, who were the champions at the time. After two years there, he played for Olympique de Marseille before moving to England to play for West Ham United. In 2017, he returned to Marseille. In July 2023, he left Marseille and joined Vasco da Gama in Brazil.

Payet has also played for the French national team. He played for the under-21 team from 2007 to 2008. In 2010, he was called up to the senior team. He was a key player for France in UEFA Euro 2016, where his team reached the final. He was even named in the "Team of the Tournament" for his great performances.

Club Journey
International Career
- Youth Teams
- Senior Team
Career Statistics
- Club
- International
Awards and Achievements
Images for kids
See also

Club Journey

Starting Out

Dimitri Payet was born in Saint-Pierre on the island of Réunion. He began his football journey at a local club called AS Saint-Philippe. Coaches noticed he was a very special player. After three years, he moved to one of the best clubs on the island, JS Saint-Pierroise.

Just one year later, Payet was signed by Le Havre, a professional club in France. He spent four years there, but it was a bit tough. Sometimes, coaches felt he lacked motivation. This led him to leave in 2003 and return to Réunion. He played for AS Excelsior for about a year and a half. Then, in 2005, Nantes gave him another chance to play in mainland France. He signed a deal to join their team.

Playing for Nantes

When Payet arrived at Nantes, he first played for the club's reserve team. He quickly became one of their best players. In the 2005–06 season, he scored six goals in 22 matches. His good play led him to be called up to the main team in December 2005.

Payet made his first professional appearance on December 19, 2005, in a match against Bordeaux. He came on as a substitute. Soon after, he scored his first professional goal in a 4–1 win against Metz. He scored just two minutes after coming onto the field!

For the 2006–07 season, Payet signed a professional contract with Nantes. He became a regular starter. He scored an important goal against Lille in a 1–1 draw. He also scored against Marseille. However, Nantes had a tough season and were moved down to a lower league.

Time at Saint-Étienne

After Nantes was relegated, Payet wanted to stay in the top league. He decided to join Saint-Étienne in 2007. Nantes received €4 million for him.

In his first season at Saint-Étienne, Payet played a lot but didn't score any goals. However, the team did well and qualified for the UEFA Cup. In the 2008–09 season, Payet started playing much better. He scored four goals and helped with six others. He scored his first league goal for the club in September 2008 against Bordeaux.

Payet played in a European competition for the first time in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. He scored in his first game against Hapoel Tel Aviv. He also scored against Copenhagen. Saint-Étienne was eventually knocked out by Werder Bremen.

In the 2010–11 season, Payet started incredibly well. He scored seven goals in the first two months! This included his first professional hat-trick against Lens. He also scored a fantastic free-kick against Lyon, which was the only goal in the game. Because of his great play, he won the "Player of the Month" award for September. Many big clubs became interested in him. He ended the season as Saint-Étienne's top scorer with 13 goals.

Moving to Lille

Payet playing for Lille in 2012

On June 28, 2011, Payet joined Lille, who had just won the league. He signed a four-year contract, and the transfer fee was €9 million.

Payet played his first game for Lille in a cup match against Marseille in Morocco. His league debut was in August 2011. In October, he scored his first goal for Lille. A few days later, he played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time.

In his second season at Lille, Payet became a very important player after Eden Hazard left. He started almost every league game. By the middle of the season, he had made the most assists in the league. He ended the season with 12 assists, which was the most in the league, and also scored 12 goals. He was named in the "Ligue 1 Team of the Season" for his amazing performance.

First Time at Marseille

Payet playing for Marseille in 2013

On June 27, 2013, Marseille signed Payet for about €11 million. In his very first game, he scored two goals in the first 15 minutes, helping his team win 3–1.

In his second season with Marseille, Payet was outstanding. He made more successful passes than almost any other player in Europe's top leagues, except for Lionel Messi. He also made 17 assists in 36 league games, which was the most in Ligue 1. Payet said that coach Marcelo Bielsa helped him a lot. Bielsa made him play in a central attacking role, which really suited his skills.

In May 2015, he was again named in the "Ligue 1 Team of the Season."

Playing for West Ham United

Payet playing for West Ham United in 2016

On June 26, 2015, Payet joined the English club West Ham United. The transfer fee was reported to be £10.7 million. He made his debut in the Premier League against Arsenal and helped his team win 2–0. A few days later, he scored his first goal for West Ham.

In November, he got an ankle injury that kept him out for about three months. When he returned in January 2016, he scored a fantastic free-kick against AFC Bournemouth. This goal was praised by many experts.

In February 2016, Payet signed a new contract with West Ham. In March, he was named the Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards. He scored another amazing free-kick from far away against Manchester United in an FA Cup match.

After a brilliant first season in England, Payet won the "West Ham United Player of the Year" award in May 2016.

Coming Back to Marseille

Payet playing for Marseille in 2018

In January 2017, Payet decided he wanted to return to Marseille. West Ham tried to keep him, but eventually, they accepted an offer of £25 million from Marseille. This was a record sale for West Ham.

Payet made his second debut for Marseille on January 31, 2017, in a cup match against Lyon. Marseille won the game. In February, he scored his first goal since returning to the club.

On May 3, 2018, Payet helped Marseille reach the Europa League final. However, during the final against Atlético Madrid, he got a hamstring injury and had to leave the game early. Marseille lost the final 3–0.

In August 2021, during a match against Nice, Payet was involved in an incident where a fan threw a bottle at him. He threw it back, and some fans then came onto the field. This caused a big disruption. In November 2021, another match was stopped when a fan threw a bottle at Payet's head.

On July 21, 2023, Payet and Marseille agreed that he would leave the club.

Playing in Brazil

On August 17, 2023, Payet joined the Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. He signed a two-year contract. He made his debut in September. On October 18, he scored his first goal for Vasco da Gama, which helped his team win 1–0 and move out of the relegation zone. He was named "Man of the Match" for his great play. In November, he scored another important free-kick to win a game for Vasco da Gama.

International Career

Youth Teams

Payet played for the French under-21 team. He made his debut in February 2007 in a friendly match. In the next game, he scored two goals in a 3–1 win against Denmark.

Senior Team

Payet playing for France in 2014

Payet was first called up to the senior national team in 2010 for Euro 2012 qualifying matches. He made his debut on October 9, 2010, coming on as a substitute and assisting a goal.

He scored his first goal for France on June 7, 2015, in a friendly match against Belgium. He was called back to the national team in March 2016 and played very well. His performance against the Netherlands was highly praised. A few days later, he scored a fantastic 30-yard free-kick against Russia.

In May 2016, Payet was chosen for the France squad for UEFA Euro 2016. He was named "Man of the Match" in the opening game against Romania. He scored a goal and made an assist, helping France win 2–1. He was again "Man of the Match" in France's second group game against Albania, where he scored another goal. On July 3, he scored and assisted in a 5–2 win against Iceland in the quarter-finals.

In the final on July 10, Payet was involved in a challenge that led to Cristiano Ronaldo getting injured and having to leave the game. France eventually lost the match 1–0 in extra time to Portugal.

Payet got an injury during the 2018 UEFA Europa League final, which meant he could not be part of France's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. France went on to win the World Cup that year.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
AS Excelsior	2004	Réunion Premier League	36	12	0	0	—		—		—		36	12
Nantes	2005–06	Ligue 1	3	1	1	0	0	0	—		—		4	1
	2006–07	Ligue 1	30	4	4	0	1	0	—		—		35	4
	Total		33	5	5	0	1	0	—		—		39	5
Saint-Étienne	2007–08	Ligue 1	31	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		31	0
	2008–09	Ligue 1	30	4	1	0	1	0	10	3	—		42	7
	2009–10	Ligue 1	35	2	4	3	2	0	—		—		41	5
	2010–11	Ligue 1	33	13	1	0	0	0	—		—		34	13
	Total		129	19	6	3	3	0	10	3	—		148	25
Lille	2011–12	Ligue 1	33	6	3	0	2	0	4	0	1	0	43	6
	2012–13	Ligue 1	38	12	3	1	3	0	8	0	—		52	13
	Total		71	18	6	1	5	0	12	0	1	0	95	19
Marseille	2013–14	Ligue 1	36	8	2	0	2	0	5	0	—		45	8
	2014–15	Ligue 1	36	7	1	0	1	0	—		—		38	7
	Total		72	15	3	0	3	0	5	0	—		83	15
West Ham United	2015–16	Premier League	30	9	6	3	1	0	1	0	—		38	12
	2016–17	Premier League	18	2	1	0	3	1	0	0	—		22	3
	Total		48	11	7	3	4	1	1	0	—		60	15
Marseille	2016–17	Ligue 1	15	4	2	1	0	0	—		—		17	5
	2017–18	Ligue 1	31	6	2	1	0	0	14	3	—		47	10
	2018–19	Ligue 1	31	4	1	0	1	0	5	2	—		38	6
	2019–20	Ligue 1	22	9	4	3	1	0	—		—		27	12
	2020–21	Ligue 1	33	7	1	0	—		6	2	1	1	41	10
	2021–22	Ligue 1	31	12	4	0	—		11	4	—		46	16
	2022–23	Ligue 1	24	4	1	0	—		2	0	—		27	4
	Total		187	46	15	5	2	0	38	11	1	1	243	63
Vasco da Gama	2023	Série A	17	2	—		—		—		—		17	2
	2024	Série A	23	3	8	0	—		—		10	2	41	5
	2025	Série A	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	1	0	1	0
	Total		40	5	8	0	—		0	0	11	2	59	7
Career total			616	130	50	12	18	1	66	14	13	3	761	160

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
France	2010	3	0
	2013	4	0
	2014	4	0
	2015	4	1
	2016	17	7
	2017	5	0
	2018	1	0
Total		38	8

France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Payet goal

List of international goals scored by Dimitri Payet
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	7 June 2015	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Belgium	3–4	3–4	Friendly
2	29 March 2016	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Russia	3–1	4–2	Friendly
3	30 May 2016	Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France	Cameroon	3–2	3–2	Friendly
4	10 June 2016	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Romania	2–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2016
5	15 June 2016	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France	Albania	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2016
6	3 July 2016	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Iceland	3–0	5–2	UEFA Euro 2016
7	7 October 2016	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Bulgaria	2–1	4–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	11 November 2016	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Sweden	2–1	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification