Steve Mandanda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Steve Mandanda

Mandanda with France in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Steve Mandanda Mpidi
Date of birth	(1985-03-28) 28 March 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Kinshasa, Zaire
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1994–2000	ALM Évreux
2000–2004	Le Havre
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2008	Le Havre	67	(0)
2007–2008	→ Marseille (loan)	34	(0)
2008–2016	Marseille	300	(0)
2016–2017	Crystal Palace	9	(0)
2017–2022	Marseille	135	(0)
2022–2025	Rennes	86	(0)
International career
2004–2006	France U21	28	(0)
2008	France B	2	(0)
2008–2022	France	35	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  France FIFA World Cup Winner 2018 Runner-up 2022 UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2016
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 May 2025 (UTC)

Steve Mandanda Mpidi (born on March 28, 1985) is a professional footballer. He is currently a free agent, meaning he is not signed to a club. He last played as a goalkeeper for the Ligue 1 club Rennes.

Mandanda grew up playing football at the Le Havre academy. He spent most of his career with Marseille, playing in 614 games for the club. He was named the best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 five times. He also played for the English club Crystal Palace for a short time. In 2023, Mandanda joined Rennes.

Born in Zaire (now called DR Congo), Mandanda played for the French national team. He first played for France in 2008. He represented France in seven big international tournaments, including four UEFA European Championships and three FIFA World Cups. He was part of the team that won the World Cup in 2018.

Steve Mandanda's Football Journey

Starting Out in Football

Steve Mandanda was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on March 28, 1985. When he was two years old, his family moved to Évreux, France. Before he started playing football, he practiced boxing. He joined his first local football team, ALM Évreux, when he was nine. He became a French citizen in May 2003.

Playing for Le Havre

Mandanda played his first league game for Le Havre in August 2005. He was so good that he didn't let any goals in during his first three matches. He played in 30 league games in the 2005–06 season and 37 games in the 2006–07 season. His strong performances caught the eye of other football clubs. After a tryout with Aston Villa didn't work out, he joined Marseille in the summer of 2007.

Time with Marseille

Mandanda playing for Marseille in 2010

When Mandanda first joined Marseille, he was expected to be the backup goalkeeper. However, the main goalkeeper, Cédric Carrasso, got a knee injury that kept him out for six months. This gave Mandanda the chance to play regularly in Ligue 1, the Champions League, and the UEFA Cup. On March 5, 2008, Mandanda signed a permanent four-year contract with Marseille.

At the end of his last season during his first time at Marseille, he was chosen as the club's Player of the Season. This was the second time he won this award, having also won it in the 2007-08 season.

Playing for Crystal Palace

On July 1, 2016, the Premier League club Crystal Palace announced that they had signed Mandanda. He joined them for free after leaving Marseille. He had a tough time there because he was injured for most of the season. He only played in ten games.

Coming Back to Marseille

On July 11, 2017, Mandanda returned to Olympique de Marseille on a three-year contract. He cost the club €3 million.

On December 22, 2018, Mandanda played his 500th game for Marseille. This was in a 1–1 draw against Angers. On August 25, 2020, when he was 35 years old, he extended his contract with Marseille until 2024.

Joining Rennes

Mandanda with Rennes in 2025

On July 6, 2022, Rennes announced that they had signed Mandanda for two years.

On January 8, 2024, Mandanda extended his contract with Rennes until June 2025. After this contract ended, he became a free agent.

Steve Mandanda's International Career

Eric Abidal and Mandanda (right) playing for France in 2010

Mandanda played many games for the French national under-21 team. He was also chosen for the French squad in the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

In 2007, he was considered for the main French national team for the first time.

He played in a friendly match for the France B team against Congo DR on February 5, 2008. He was substituted at half-time, and his younger brother Parfait came on to play for Congo. Mandanda made his first full international appearance for France on May 27, 2008. This was in a 2–0 win against Ecuador before Euro 2008. He came on as a substitute for Sébastien Frey at half-time. He was then named as the third-choice goalkeeper for the French squad in the tournament.

He started the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying games as France's main goalkeeper. His first competitive international game was on September 6, 2008, against Austria. However, in the summer of 2009, Raymond Domenech chose Olympique Lyonnais goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to be the main starter instead. Mandanda was part of France's World Cup team in 2010, but he did not play in any of their three matches.

On June 6, 2011, Mandanda was the captain for France in a 4–1 friendly win against Ukraine. He was also called up for UEFA Euro 2012. Mandanda was initially chosen for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad, but he got injured before the tournament. Stéphane Ruffier replaced him. He was part of the squad that finished second at UEFA Euro 2016 in France. Mandanda was also in the 23-man French squad that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played in their group game against Denmark, which ended in a draw. This was his first tournament appearance, and he was 33 years old. In November 2022, he was named in the French squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He started the final group stage match against Tunisia. On January 14, 2023, Mandanda announced that he was retiring from international football.

How Steve Mandanda Plays

Mandanda is known as a strong and athletic goalkeeper. He is famous for his amazing reflexes and his ability to stop shots, which allowed him to make spectacular saves. He was also good at positioning himself and was a strong leader. However, he sometimes struggled with high balls and had injuries throughout his career. Besides his goalkeeping skills, he was calm when he had the ball and comfortable using his feet to pass. He often played as a sweeper-keeper, meaning he would come out of his goal to help his team with passing and starting attacks. In his best years, he was considered one of the top goalkeepers in the world. Many people see him as one of the greatest French goalkeepers ever, and one of the best goalkeepers to play in Ligue 1.

Steve Mandanda's Family Life

Mandanda has three younger brothers: Parfait, Riffi, and Over. All of them are also goalkeepers! He enjoys spending time with his family in Marseille, where he lives. His relatives gave him the nickname "Frenchie" because he chose to play for the France national football team instead of Congo, his birth country.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Awards and Achievements

Marseille

• Ligue 1: 2009–10
• Coupe de la Ligue: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
• Trophée des Champions: 2010, 2011
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2017–18

France

• FIFA World Cup: 2018; runner-up: 2022
• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2016

Individual Awards

• Toulon Tournament Best Goalkeeper: 2005
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: February 2008, August 2008, September 2017
• UNFP Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
• UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
• Marseille Olympian of the Season: 2007–08, 2015–16

Orders

• Knight of the Legion of Honour: 2018

See also

In Spanish: Steve Mandanda para niños