Rio Mavuba facts for kids
Mavuba lining up for Lille in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rio Antonio Zoba Mavuba | ||
| Date of birth | 8 March 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Born at sea | ||
| Height | 1.72 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2003 | Bordeaux | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2007 | Bordeaux | 127 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | Villarreal | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Lille (loan) | 17 | (1) |
| 2008–2017 | Lille | 282 | (4) |
| 2017–2018 | Sparta Prague | 11 | (0) |
| 2024 | Bordeaux | 0 | (0) |
| 2024 | Bordeaux B | 3 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2003 | DR Congo U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | France U21 | 21 | (1) |
| 2004–2014 | France | 13 | (0) |
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Rio Antonio Zoba Mavuba (born March 8, 1984) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, a player who helps both attack and defense. Rio spent most of his career playing for two French clubs: Bordeaux and Lille. With Lille, he helped the team win the national championship in 2011. He also played for the French national team from 2004 to 2014 and represented his country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
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Rio Mavuba's Early Life and Family
Rio Mavuba's father, Mavuba Mafuila, was also a footballer. He played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup for Zaire. Rio's mother was from Angola.
Rio was born in a very unusual place: on a boat in international waters. This happened during the Angolan Civil War. His birth certificate simply said "born at sea" instead of a country.
Sadly, Rio's mother passed away when he was two years old. His father died when Rio was 12. Football became a way for him to cope with his sadness. Rio also has a nephew, Kenny, who became a footballer in France.
Rio Mavuba's Club Career
Playing for Bordeaux
Rio Mavuba started his football journey in the youth teams of Bordeaux. He made his first appearance in Ligue 1, France's top football league, on January 10, 2004. He quickly became a regular player for the team.
From the 2004–05 season onwards, Rio played in many league matches each year for Bordeaux.
Time at Villarreal and Lille
On July 3, 2007, Rio Mavuba joined Villarreal, a Spanish football club. He signed a five-year contract. However, he found it difficult to get much playing time there.
In January 2008, Rio moved to Lille in France on a loan deal. This loan became a permanent transfer in the summer of 2008. He signed a four-year contract with Lille.
Rio had a very successful time at Lille. In the 2010–11 season, he played in 46 matches. He helped Les Dogues (Lille's nickname) win both the league championship and the Coupe de France. This was a huge achievement for the club, as they hadn't won the league in 57 years!
In the 2012–13 season, Rio suffered a knee injury. This kept him off the field for over three months. On December 22, 2013, as the team captain, he scored his first goal of the new season. This goal helped Lille draw 2–2 against Paris Saint-Germain. He even got into a small argument with famous player Zlatan Ibrahimović during that match.
On May 26, 2015, Rio Mavuba signed a new four-year contract with Lille, showing his commitment to the club.
Later Career and Retirement
On July 21, 2017, Rio Mavuba, at 33 years old, joined Sparta Prague, a club in the Czech Republic. He signed a three-year contract.
He returned to France on September 14, 2018. He signed with an amateur club called Mérignac-Arlac. In April 2019, Rio became the manager of this team.
In October 2020, he took on a new role as an assistant coach for Bordeaux's reserve team. On August 28, 2024, it was announced that Rio Mavuba would come out of retirement. He decided to help his former club Bordeaux, which had recently been moved down to a lower league.
Rio Mavuba's International Career
In December 2003, Rio Mavuba played a friendly match for the DR Congo national under-21 team. He could also have chosen to play for Angola.
From 2004 to 2006, Rio was the captain of the French under-21 team. He played in tournaments like the Toulon Tournament and the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Rio earned his first cap (an appearance in an international match) for the senior French national team on August 18, 2004. This was a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He later turned down invitations to play for the DR Congo national team, choosing to play for France.
Rio Mavuba was chosen by coach Didier Deschamps to be part of France's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He made his World Cup debut on June 15, coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 win against Honduras.
Rio Mavuba's Football Honours
Rio Mavuba achieved several important wins during his career:
Bordeaux
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2006–07 (a French league cup)
Lille
- Ligue 1: 2010–11 (the top French football league championship)
- Coupe de France: 2010–11 (a major French knockout cup competition)
Images for kids
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Mavuba playing for Lille in 2011
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Mavuba playing for Lille in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Rio Mavuba para niños
