Raphaël Varane facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

"Varane" redirects here. For other uses, see Varane (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Raphaël Varane

Varane playing for France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Personal information

Full name

Raphaël Xavier Varane

Date of birth

25 April 1993 (age 32)

Place of birth

Lille, France

Height

1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)

Position(s)

Centre-back

Youth career

2000–2002

Hellemmes

2002–2010

Lens

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2010

Lens II

(0)

2010–2011

Lens

(2)

2011–2021

Real Madrid

236

(8)

2021–2024

Manchester United

(2)

2024

Como

(0)

Total

336

(12)

International career

2010

France U18

(1)

2012

France U20

(0)

2011–2012

France U21

(3)

2013–2022

France

(5)

Medal record


Men's football
Representing France
FIFA World Cup
Winner	2018
Runner-up	2022
UEFA Nations League
Winner	2021

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Raphaël Xavier Varane (born 25 April 1993) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a defender who plays in the middle of the field.

Varane started his career playing for the French club Lens when he was young. In 2010, at just 17 years old, he began playing professionally. After only one season, he joined Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world.

He spent ten seasons with Real Madrid, from 2011 to 2021. During this time, he won many major trophies. These included three La Liga titles (the Spanish league), four UEFA Champions League titles (Europe's top club competition), and four FIFA Club World Cups.

In 2021, Varane moved to Manchester United in England. There, he won the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. He left Manchester United in 2024 and briefly joined Como in Italy. However, after playing only a short time, he got a knee injury. He then announced his retirement from professional football in September 2024.

Varane also played for the French national team. He represented France at different youth levels before making his senior debut in 2013. He was a key player in the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022. France won the World Cup in 2018 and were runners-up in 2022. He also helped France win the UEFA Nations League in 2021. Varane retired from international football in 2023, having played 93 games for his country.

Raphaël Varane's Football Journey
Playing for France
- Youth Teams
- Senior National Team
How He Played
About Raphaël Varane
Career Numbers
Trophies and Awards
See also

Raphaël Varane's Football Journey

Starting Out in Football

Raphaël Varane was born in Lille, a city in France. His father is from Martinique, and his mother grew up in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux. Varane began playing football at age seven for a local club called Hellemmes.

In July 2002, after two years, he joined the professional club Lens. He also spent time at a special training center for young players in the region. He trained there during the week and played with Lens on weekends.

Varane quickly moved up through the youth teams at Lens. In the 2008–09 season, he played on the under-16 team that won a national championship. The next season, he joined the under-19 team, even though he was younger than most players. Before the 2010–11 season, Varane signed his first professional contract. He then started playing for the club's reserve team.

Playing for Lens

In late 2010, Varane was called up to the senior team by the manager. He trained with the team and, because another player was injured, he surprisingly started his first professional game on 6 November. Lens won the match 2–0, and Varane played the whole game. His teammates and coach praised his performance.

Even after the manager was changed, Varane continued to be a starter. In December, he played as a defensive midfielder in one game. He helped his team keep a lead by blocking a shot.

In early 2011, other clubs became interested in Varane. To keep him, Lens extended his contract until 2015. On 8 May, Varane scored his first professional goal in a 1–1 draw. In the next game, he scored again in another 1–1 draw. Despite his goals, Lens was moved down to a lower league after this season. On 21 May, Varane even captained the team in a match.

Joining Real Madrid

First Season and Big Wins

On 22 June 2011, the president of Lens confirmed that Varane would join La Liga club Real Madrid. Varane had visited Real Madrid's facilities and met with Zinedine Zidane, a famous French player who was an advisor at the club. On 27 June, Real Madrid confirmed the transfer after Varane passed his medical tests. He signed a six-year contract.

Varane was given the number 19 shirt. He played his first game for Real Madrid in a pre-season match against Los Angeles Galaxy. He came on as a substitute in a 4–1 win. He made his first start a few days later in a 3–0 win.

Varane played his first official game for Real Madrid on 21 September. He started as a defender in a league match that ended 0–0. Three days later, he started again and scored his first goal for the club. He scored with a back-heel shot after a corner kick. Real Madrid won that game 6–2. Varane's goal made him the youngest foreign player to score for Real Madrid in a competitive match. He was 18 years and 152 days old. On 27 September, he played his first UEFA Champions League game, which Real Madrid won 3–0.

Becoming a Key Player and Winning Big Trophies

For the 2012–13 season, Varane changed his shirt number to 2. He made his season debut in the Champions League against Manchester City, playing the whole game in a 3–2 win.

On 30 January 2013, Varane played in his first El Clásico match against Barcelona. He defended very well and even scored a goal with a header. The game ended 1–1. He became the second-youngest foreign player to score for Real Madrid in a Clásico. In the next game against Barcelona, Varane scored again with a header, helping Madrid win 3–1. Many people praised his performances against Barcelona and Manchester United.

In April 2013, fans voted Varane into the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history". In May 2013, he had surgery on his right knee due to an injury.

Varane helped Real Madrid win the 2014 Copa del Rey Final against Barcelona. He also played all 120 minutes of Real Madrid's 4–1 win over Atlético Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final. He played instead of the more experienced Pepe. After the game, he had a small incident with the opposing manager, but it was understood because he was young. In September 2014, Varane signed a new six-year contract with Real Madrid. He was a regular player when the team won the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League.

More Trophies and Success

Even with some injuries, Varane played in 23 games when Real Madrid won the 2016–17 La Liga title. He also started in the Champions League final when Madrid won the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League.

Varane's contract was extended until 2022 in September 2017. During the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, he played in eleven games as Madrid won their third Champions League title in a row. Because of his great performances, he was nominated for the 2018 Ballon d'Or award, finishing seventh. He was also chosen as a top defender for the FIFPRO World 11 and the UEFA Team of the Year.

In the 2018–19 season, he played 43 games and won the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup. He was a regular starter when Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga title. In the Champions League that season, Real Madrid lost to Manchester City. Varane made some mistakes in that game, which he later apologized for.

Moving to Manchester United

Varane playing for Manchester United in 2021

On 27 July 2021, it was announced that Manchester United and Real Madrid agreed on Varane's transfer. The move was completed on 14 August 2021. He was introduced to the fans at Old Trafford before United's first league game. He wore the number 19 shirt, which he also had at Real Madrid.

Varane played his first game for Manchester United on 29 August 2021. He helped set up the winning goal in a 1–0 victory. On 2 May 2022, Varane scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win.

On 22 October 2022, Varane got a leg injury. This meant he would miss games before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making his chances of playing for France uncertain.

On 26 February 2023, Raphaël Varane won his first trophy with Manchester United. He started in the EFL Cup final against Newcastle United at Wembley, which Manchester United won 2–0.

On 14 August 2023, Varane scored the winning goal in Manchester United's first game of the 2023–24 season. They won 1–0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

On 14 May 2024, Varane announced he would leave the club at the end of the season. On 25 May 2024, he played his last game for Manchester United. He lifted the FA Cup after a 2–1 win against local rivals Manchester City at Wembley. In total, he played 92 games for United and scored two goals.

Short Time at Como and Retirement

On 28 July 2024, it was announced that Serie A club Como signed Varane for two years. On 11 August, he got a knee injury in his first game with the club. Later that month, he was removed from the team's list of players for the league. He announced his retirement from football on 25 September 2024.

Playing for France

Youth Teams

Varane played for different French youth national teams. He played for the under-18, under-20, and under-21 teams.

He made his debut for the under-18 team on 24 August 2010 and scored a goal in a 2–0 win. He later turned down calls to the under-18 team because he was playing more for the Lens senior team. In February 2011, he was called up to the under-21 team for the first time. He played his first game for the under-21 team in a 3–1 win. In November, he scored his first under-21 goal, helping France qualify for a competition.

Senior National Team

Varane playing for France in 2014

In August 2012, Varane was called up to the senior French national team. He made his first start for France on 22 March 2013 in a World Cup qualifying match, which France won 3–1. On 13 May 2014, he was chosen for France's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

He played in central defense for France's first World Cup game, a 3–0 win. He also started in other group matches and knockout games. France was knocked out by Germany in the quarter-finals. Varane was nominated for the tournament's Best Young Player award. On 14 October, Varane became the youngest player to captain France in a game. He later scored his first international goal in a 1–0 win against Sweden.

On 24 May 2016, he was unable to play in UEFA Euro 2016 due to a thigh injury.

On 17 May 2018, Varane was called up for France's 2018 FIFA World Cup squad. He started and played every minute of all seven of France's games. In the quarter-final against Uruguay, Varane scored the first goal with a header in France's 2–0 victory. France went on to win the World Cup for the second time. Varane became one of only four players to win both the World Cup and the Champions League in the same year.

In May 2021, he was part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He played every minute of France's four matches.

In November 2022, Varane was part of the 26-man squad for France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On 18 December, Varane started for France in their second World Cup final in a row. They lost to Argentina on penalties.

On 2 February 2023, at 29 years old, Varane announced he was retiring from international football. He shared photos from his time with the national team. He played 93 games and scored 5 goals for France.

How He Played

Varane was described as a "truly first-class player" who was "comfortable on both the tactical and technical level." His height made him good at heading the ball. He was also confident with the ball, which helped him start attacks from the back with his passes.

Many experts believed Varane had the potential to be one of the best defenders in the world. He was praised for his technique, strength, and speed.

About Raphaël Varane

Varane is married to Camille Tytgat. They have a son named Ruben and a daughter named Anaïs.

When Zinedine Zidane called Varane about joining Real Madrid in 2011, Varane asked him to call back. He was in the middle of studying for his high school exams!

His half-brother, Jonathan Varane, is also a professional footballer. His sister, Annabelle Varane, was Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais 2018.

In an interview in April 2024, Varane talked about how head injuries he got during matches had affected him. He suggested that children should avoid heading the ball and that players should be more aware of the dangers of repeated head impacts. He also shared that symptoms from these impacts had affected his performance in some important games, like a World Cup quarter-final and a Champions League match.

Career Numbers

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
Lens II	2010–11	CFA	9	0	—		—		—		—		9	0
Lens	2010–11	Ligue 1	23	2	1	0	0	0	—		—		24	2
Real Madrid	2011–12	La Liga	9	1	2	1	—		4	0	0	0	15	2
	2012–13	La Liga	15	0	7	2	—		11	0	0	0	33	2
	2013–14	La Liga	14	0	2	0	—		7	0	0	0	23	0
	2014–15	La Liga	27	0	4	2	—		12	0	3	0	46	2
	2015–16	La Liga	26	0	0	0	—		7	0	—		33	0
	2016–17	La Liga	23	1	3	1	—		10	2	3	0	39	4
	2017–18	La Liga	27	0	1	0	—		11	0	5	0	44	0
	2018–19	La Liga	32	2	4	0	—		4	0	3	0	43	2
	2019–20	La Liga	32	2	1	1	—		8	0	2	0	43	3
	2020–21	La Liga	31	2	0	0	—		9	0	1	0	41	2
	Total		236	8	24	7	—		83	2	17	0	360	17
Manchester United	2021–22	Premier League	22	1	2	0	0	0	5	0	—		29	1
	2022–23	Premier League	24	0	3	0	2	0	5	0	—		34	0
	2023–24	Premier League	22	1	5	0	1	0	4	0	—		32	1
	Total		68	2	10	0	3	0	14	0	—		95	2
Como	2024–25	Serie A	0	0	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
Career total			336	12	36	7	3	0	97	2	17	0	489	21

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
France	2013	4	0
	2014	13	1
	2015	10	1
	2016	8	0
	2017	5	0
	2018	14	1
	2019	10	2
	2020	7	0
	2021	12	0
	2022	10	0
Total		93	5

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

List of international goals scored by Raphaël Varane
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	18 November 2014	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France	17	Sweden	1–0	1–0	Friendly
2	26 March 2015	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	18	Brazil	1–0	1–3	Friendly
3	6 July 2018	Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia	47	Uruguay	1–0	2–0	2018 FIFA World Cup
4	22 March 2019	Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova	55	Moldova	2–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
5	14 November 2019	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	63	Moldova	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying