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Florian Thauvin
FRA-ARG (6).jpg
Thauvin with France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Florian Tristan Mariano Thauvin
Date of birth (1993-01-26) 26 January 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth Orléans, Loiret, France
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Right winger, forward
Team information
Current team
Udinese
Number 10
Youth career
2000–2005 Ingre
2005–2007 Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle
2007–2008 Orléans
2008–2011 Grenoble
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Grenoble 3 (0)
2011–2013 Bastia 32 (3)
2013 Lille 0 (0)
2013 Bastia (loan) 13 (7)
2013–2015 Marseille 69 (13)
2015–2017 Newcastle United 13 (0)
2016–2017 Marseille (loan) 52 (17)
2017–2021 Marseille 106 (46)
2021–2023 Tigres UANL 38 (8)
2023– Udinese 70 (13)
International career
2011 France U18 2 (0)
2012 France U19 2 (0)
2012–2013 France U20 16 (7)
2013–2014 France U21 10 (7)
2021 France Olympic 4 (0)
2017–2019 France 10 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
FIFA World Cup
Winner 2018
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winner 2013
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 06:02, 11 March 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 June 2019

Florian Thauvin (born January 26, 1993) is a French professional footballer. He plays as a right winger or forward. He is currently the captain of the Italian club Udinese.

Florian started his professional career with Grenoble in 2011. He then moved to Bastia, where he helped them win the Ligue 2 title. A year later, he was named the Young Player of the Year. He joined Marseille for a large fee and played many games for them over two periods. He also had a short time playing for Newcastle United in England.

Thauvin played for France's national youth teams, from under-18 to under-21. He won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup with the French under-20 team. He made his debut for the senior French national team in June 2017. He was part of the squad that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In 2021, Thauvin also played for the French Olympic team at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Florian Thauvin's Football Journey

Starting Out: Early Clubs

Florian Thauvin was born in Orléans, France. He started playing football in youth teams like Ingre and Orléans. He then joined Grenoble and moved up through their youth system.

He made his first professional appearance for Grenoble on March 11, 2011. This was in a Ligue 2 match against Vannes. After Grenoble faced financial problems, Florian left the club.

Bastia: First Steps to Success

On July 19, 2011, Thauvin signed his first professional contract with Bastia. This club is located on the island of Corsica. He scored his first goal for Bastia in October 2012, helping them win 3–1 against Bordeaux.

Thauvin played a key role in Bastia winning the Ligue 2 title in 2012. In January 2013, he signed with Lille but was immediately loaned back to Bastia. He stayed with Bastia until the end of the 2012–13 season. Because of his great performances, he was named the Young Player of the Year for Ligue 1.

Marseille: A Key Player

On September 3, 2013, Thauvin joined Marseille. He signed a five-year contract with the club. He had not played any games for Lille before moving to Marseille.

He played 81 games for Marseille over two seasons, scoring 15 goals. In January 2015, he was the only Marseille player to miss a penalty in a shootout. This led to Marseille being knocked out of the Coupe de France by his former club Grenoble.

Newcastle United: A Short Stay

Newcastle United vs Arsenal, 29 August 2015 (21)
Thauvin playing for Newcastle in 2015

On August 19, 2015, Thauvin moved to Newcastle United in England. He signed a five-year deal. He made his debut three days later in a match against Manchester United.

He made his first start for Newcastle in a League Cup game on August 25. In that match, he scored a goal and helped with three others in a 4–1 win. However, his time at Newcastle was short. He faced some criticism, which he later said affected his playing.

Return to Marseille: Second Spell

On January 31, 2016, Thauvin returned to Marseille on loan for the rest of the season. In his first game back, he was sent off shortly after coming on as a substitute. He scored a goal in the 2016 Coupe de France final, but Marseille lost the match.

He started a second loan spell at Marseille on August 4, 2016. This loan was later made permanent in the summer of 2017. Thauvin became a very important player for Marseille. He even captained the team for the first time in January 2017.

FC Salzburg versus Olympique Marseille (28. September 2017) 11
Thauvin (in blue) in action against Salzburg in September 2017

In March 2017, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Angers. He was named the UNFP Player of the Month for March. On April 30, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a 5–1 win over Caen.

In February 2018, Thauvin scored another hat-trick in a 6–3 win against Metz. He won two more Player of the Month awards. He finished the 2017–18 Ligue 1 season with 22 goals, making him one of the top scorers. He also helped Marseille reach the Europa League final, where they lost to Atlético Madrid.

In the 2018–19 season, Thauvin was the fourth-highest scorer in Ligue 1 with 16 goals. This included another hat-trick against Amiens. In September 2019, he was out with an ankle injury. He returned in March 2020, but the season was stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic. On September 13, 2020, Thauvin scored the only goal in a win against Paris Saint-Germain. This was Marseille's first win against them since 2011.

Tigres UANL: A Move to Mexico

On May 7, 2021, Thauvin signed with the Mexican team Tigres UANL. He joined the club after his contract with Marseille ended. He reunited with his former Marseille teammate André-Pierre Gignac there.

He made his debut for Tigres on August 7, 2021, but was sent off during the game. On January 23, 2023, Tigres ended his contract. Even though his contract was ended early, Florian was recognized as a Liga MX champion because the team won the Clausura 2023 tournament.

Udinese: Playing in Italy

On January 31, 2023, Thauvin joined Serie A club Udinese in Italy. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with them. He continues to play for Udinese as of July 2025.

International Career: Representing France

Florian Thauvin 2018 (cropped)
Thauvin at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Youth Teams

Thauvin played regularly for the France national youth football team. He represented France at the under-18, under-19, under-20, and under-21 levels. He was part of the French squad that won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. He scored a penalty in the quarter-finals and two goals in the semi-finals of that tournament.

Senior National Team

Thauvin was first called up to the senior France squad in March 2017. He made his debut for France on June 2, 2017, in a friendly match against Paraguay.

He was chosen for the 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. France won the tournament, and Thauvin played for one minute in the exciting 4–3 win against Argentina.

On June 11, 2019, Thauvin scored his first goal for the senior national team. It was a bicycle kick in a 4–0 win against Andorra during a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match. He also assisted another goal in that game.

Thauvin was one of three older players chosen for the French Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan. His new Tigres teammate, André-Pierre Gignac, was also on the team.

How Florian Thauvin Plays

In January 2014, a newspaper called The Observer named him one of the ten most promising young players in Europe. Former coach Alain Casanova described Thauvin as a player similar to Franck Ribéry. He said Thauvin is "someone who is able to disrupt any opponent, someone very dangerous when he picks up speed." An ESPN writer, Andy Brassell, said in 2013 that Thauvin is a wide player who is "a left-footer with fine acceleration and jaw-dropping close control." This means he is very fast and skilled with the ball.

Career Highlights

Florian Thauvin has achieved several important things in his football career:

  • Bastia
  • Tigres UANL
  • Individual Awards
    • UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2012–13
    • UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: March 2017, November 2017, January 2018

See also

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