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Désiré Doué

French footballer (born 2005) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Désiré Doué
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Désiré Nonka-Maho Doué (French pronunciation: [deziʁe dwe]; born 3 June 2005) is a French professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Known for his pace, agility and passing, he is considered to be one of the best young players in the world.

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Doué started his career at Rennes, spending two seasons in Ligue 1. In 2024, he joined reigning French champions PSG in a transfer worth €50 million. In his debut season for PSG, Doué was a prominent player as the club attained a continental treble, including their first-ever UEFA Champions League title. His league performances also earned him the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award and the Champions League's Young Player of the Season.

Doué is a former France youth international, representing his country at various youth levels and the Olympic team in 2024, where he won a silver medal. He made his senior debut for France in March 2025.

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Club career

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Rennes

Doué began playing football with the youth academy of Rennes at the age of five in 2011. He began his senior career with their reserves in 2021, and started training with the senior side in February 2021.[3] On 14 April 2022, he signed his first professional contract until 2024.[4]

On 7 August 2022, Doué made his professional debut for Rennes as a substitute in a 1–0 Ligue 1 defeat at home to Lorient.[5] On 31 August, he scored his first professional goal in a 3–1 league win at home over Brest, becoming the first player born in 2005 to score in any of the major five European leagues.[6] On 6 October, Doué scored an 89th-minute winning goal for Rennes in a 2–1 UEFA Europa League home victory over Dynamo Kyiv, his first European goal.[7] The goal made him the youngest ever French scorer in European club competitions at 17 years, four months and four days of age.[8] On 9 October, Doué scored a half-volley in the Derby Breton against Nantes, sealing a 3–0 win less than 60 seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 83rd minute.[9] On 2 November, Doué extended this contract with Rennes for another year until 2025.[10]

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Doué with Rennes in 2023

On 9 April 2023, Doué found himself substituted out in the final minutes of the 3–1 defeat against Lyon after being introduced from the bench 18 minutes earlier. Rennes manager Bruno Génésio was critical of the midfielder in his post-match comments, but also gave him encouragement: "It does not mean I don’t have great trust in him and that he’ll fail to make a great career, but some things need to be understood faster".[11] Doué finished the 2022–23 season in Ligue 1 with 29 appearances, 11 of which as a starter.

On 1 October 2023, Doué scored his first goal in the 2023–24 Ligue 1 season in a 3–1 win against Nantes.[12] On 26 January 2024 against Lyon, he assisted Rennes' first goal by Martin Terrier, and scored the second in a 3–2 win, playing as a left winger.[13]

Paris Saint-Germain

On 17 August 2024, Doué joined fellow Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer worth €50 million, not including bonuses.[14][15] He signed a contract valid until 30 June 2029.[16] In doing so, he rejected an offer from German club Bayern Munich.[17]

2024–25: Young Player of the Season and European champion

On 23 August, Doué made his debut for the reigning French champions as a substitute in a 6–0 win over Montpellier, wearing the number 14 shirt.[18] In the post-match interview, Doué stated that he didn't regret his decision to sign for PSG instead of Bayern.[19] In the next match on 1 September, he recorded his first assist for PSG, a cross for a Randal Kolo Muani header to seal a 3–1 victory over Lille.[20] On 18 September, Doué made his UEFA Champions League debut at the Parc des Princes against Spanish side Girona.[21] On 10 December, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–0 away win over Red Bull Salzburg.[22] On 15 December, he was given his first man of the match award in Ligue 1 as a PSG player for his performance in a 3–1 home win against Lyon, where he provided the assist for Ousmane Dembélé's opening goal and won a penalty in the second half, which was converted by Vitinha.[23][24] On 19 February 2025, Doué came on as a substitute in the second leg of a Champions League knockout phase play-off against fellow Ligue 1 club Brest, where he scored a goal and provided an assist in an eventual 7–0 win for PSG.[25]

Doué's stature in the PSG squad continued to grow with impressive performances including a game against Lille on 1 March, where he got a goal and an assist.[26] On 11 March, in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Liverpool, Doué came on as a substitute for Bradley Barcola and scored the decisive penalty at Anfield that won the Parisians the tie in a second leg comeback, after having lost the first leg 1–0.[27] His performances in March, in which he scored three goals and recorded two assists in four Ligue 1 matches, saw him named UNFP Player of the Month.[28] On 5 April, Doué scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Angers, securing his club's 13th Ligue 1 title.[29] Four days later, he scored the equalizer in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Aston Villa from outside the box,[30] with PSG going on to win the tie 5–4 on aggregate to advance to the semi-final stage.[31] He went on feature as PSG's starting right winger in both legs of the of the semi-final against Arsenal as PSG reached the second Champions League final in the club's history with a 3–1 aggregate win over the London club.[32][33] At the end of the league season, he was named as both the Young Player of the Year and in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year at the 2025 UNFP awards.[34][35]

On 31 May, Doué scored twice and provided an assist to Achraf Hakimi in a 5–0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final, being awarded man of the match, as his club secured their first-ever title in the competition.[36][37] In addition, he became the first ever teenager to score a brace in the final at the age of 19 years and 362 days, surpassing Eusébio's record, aged 20 years and 97 days, set in 1962,[38] as well as the youngest assist provider in a final, overtaking Jude Bellingham's record (aged 20 years and 338 days) from the previous season.[39] He also became the second teenager to score a goal and assist in a final since Brian Kidd in 1968 and the first player with 3 goal involvements in a final since Sandro Mazzola in 1964.[40] Due to his impressive performances, Doué was named the UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season.[41]

On 6 June, in the quarter-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Doué scored the first goal against Bayern Munich to help PSG advance to the semifinals of tournament.[42][43] Although his team lost in the final against Chelsea, he was awarded the Best Young Player of the tournament.[44]

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International career

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Doué is a youth international for France, having represented the France U17s and France U19s. He played for the U17s in their winning campaign at the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship[45] and the U19s in the 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifiers. Doué debuted for the France under-21 team on 13 October 2023 in the UEFA European under-21 championship qualifying match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he picked up two yellow cards and was sent off before the final whistle.[46]

On 22 March 2024, Doué made his debut for the France Olympic football team in a friendly match against Cote D'Ivoire, scoring two goals in a 3–2 win.[47] He played in five matches at the 2024 Olympic games, including a notable appearance from the bench in the final against Spain, which France lost 5–3, having to settle for the runner-up position in the tournament it hosted.

On 13 March 2025, Doué received his first call-up to the France national team and made his debut in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Croatia.[48]

On 8 June 2025, Doué received the bronze medal for getting 3rd place in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League with France after a 2–0 victory against Germany.[49] He played a total of 138 minutes in the tournament.

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Style of play and reception

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Considered to be one of the best young players in the world,[50][51][52][53] Doué's natural position is an attacking midfielder, but his versatility allows him to play deeper in midfield, on either wing, or as a forward, depending on the formation. A dynamic box-to-box playmaker with an eye for goal, Doué has been noted for his supreme agility, acceleration and pace, which combined with his excellent dribbling, shooting and passing technique allows him to be a potent offensive threat in a variety of situations.[54] According to journalist Liam Tharme, who analyzed the player for The Athletic, Doué's super-strength is ball carrying, ranking inside the top two percent of central midfielders in the top five European leagues over the 2022–2023 season for progressive carries (3.4 per 90), and the top one percent for successful dribbles (3.9).[55] ESPN describes Doué as "an entertainer at heart, full of tricks and skills designed to shake up opponents".[56] Despite being primarily used as an attacking player, Doué has also been praised for his defensive contribution, demonstrated by his average of more than three tackles per game in Ligue 1, which has placed him in the top six percent of midfielders in the league.[57]

Rennes manager Bruno Génésio has spoken highly of Doué, calling the youngster "physically already equipped" and further complimenting him: "He reads the game very well. Technically, right foot and even left foot, he's complete, with good control on both. Away from the pitch he's a dream. Easy, calm, with a streak of leadership whilst still asking for advice. He's both care-free and conscientious in his work. He's already a pro in his head".[58] Veteran midfielder Nemanja Matić who signed for Rennes in the summer of 2023 stated that Doué has great potential.[59]

Doué has also drawn comparisons to former PSG player Neymar, particularly after his arrival at the French club, where he has been cited as the Brazilian's heir due to his creativity, flair, dribbling prowess and eye for goal. PSG manager Luis Enrique has praised Doué for his "technical ability, physicality, and personality".[60]

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Personal life

Doué was born in Angers, Maine-et-Loire,[61] to an Ivorian father and French mother.[62] He holds French and Ivorian citizenships.[63][64] His brother Guéla Doué and his cousins Yann Gboho and Marc-Olivier Doué are also professional footballers.[65][66]

Doué has recognised both Neymar and Lionel Messi as his footballing idols.[67]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 August 2025[68]
More information Club, Season ...
  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. One appearance in Trophée des Champions, seven appearances and one goal in FIFA Club World Cup
  4. Appearance in UEFA Super Cup

International

As of match played 8 June 2025[69]
More information National team, Year ...
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Honours

Paris Saint-Germain

France U17

France U23

France

Individual

Orders

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References

External links

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