Randal Kolo Muani

French footballer (born 1998) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Randal Kolo Muani

Randal Kolo Muani (born 5 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus, on loan from Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and the France national team.

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...
Randal Kolo Muani
Kolo Muani with Nantes in 2020
Personal information
Full name Randal Kolo Muani
Date of birth (1998-12-05) 5 December 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Bondy, France
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Juventus
(on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)
Number 20
Youth career
2005–2010 Villepinte FC
2010–2011 Tremblay FC
2011–2015 Torcy
2015–2018 Nantes
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2020 Nantes B 62 (19)
2018–2022 Nantes 79 (21)
2019–2020Boulogne (loan) 14 (3)
2022–2023 Eintracht Frankfurt 34 (16)
2023– Paris Saint-Germain 36 (8)
2025–Juventus (loan) 4 (5)
International career
2020–2021 France U21 7 (1)
2021 France Olympic 4 (1)
2022– France 27 (8)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up2022
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:00, 16 February 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:52, 17 November 2024 (UTC)
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Kolo Muani began his professional career at Nantes, where he scored 23 goals in 87 first-team appearances and won the Coupe de France. In 2022, he joined German club Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer. He went on to score 26 goals in 50 matches in one year at the club before returning to France with Paris Saint-Germain in an €80 million deal.

Kolo Muani played youth international football for France at under-21 and Olympic levels. He made his senior international debut in September 2022, and was a member of the France squad that were runners-up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Early life

Randal Kolo Muani[2] was born on 5 December 1998 in Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis,[3] to parents born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.[citation needed] He holds both French and Congolese nationalities.[4][5][6] He acquired French nationality on 3 September 2008, through the effect of his parents' naturalization.[7]

Club career

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Nantes

In his childhood, Kolo Muani played for several Parisian teams, including Villepinte,[8] Tremblay and Torcy.[9] During the same period, he also trained with Italian teams Vicenza and Cremonese,[10] before joining Nantes' youth academy in 2015.[11] Kolo Muani received his first call-up to the Nantes first team on 12 February 2017, for a match against Marseille[12] and on 4 June 2018, he signed his first professional contract with his childhood club, Nantes.[13] He made his professional debut in a 3–0 Ligue 1 loss to Saint-Étienne on 30 November 2018.[14] On 21 January 2019, he made his first start in a 1–0 loss to Angers.[15]

In August 2019, Kolo Muani joined Boulogne on a season-long loan deal.[16] On 30 August, he made his first appearance with the club in a Championnat National match against Avranches, and he scored his first goal for the club on 21 February 2020.[17] At Boulogne, he demonstrated his talents and contributed three goals and five assists, helping the club reach third place in the standings in the tournament, which ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18][19]

Kolo Muani returned to Nantes for the 2020–21 season and scored his first goal for Les Canaris in a 3–1 win against Brest.[20] He scored 9 goals and provided as many assists in 37 league appearances, but the club had a challenging season and finished in seventeenth place. As a result, they landed in the Ligue 1 relegation/promotion play-offs against Toulouse, winners of the Ligue 2 play-offs.[21] During the play-offs, Kolo Muani scored one goal in two matches, helping Nantes avoid relegation.[22] During the following season, he won his first trophy with the club, the 2021–22 Coupe de France.[23][24]

Eintracht Frankfurt

On 4 March 2022, Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt signed Kolo Muani on a pre-contract agreement ahead of the expiration of his Nantes contract.[25] He signed a five-year deal with the club.[26] On 26 October 2022, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 2–1 win over Marseille,[27] and on 1 November, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 away victory over Sporting CP, securing his club's qualification to the knockout phase for the first time in the Champions League era.[28]

On 7 February 2023, Kolo Muani scored his first double in the DFB-Pokal in a 4–2 home victory over Darmstadt.[29] Eleven days later, he scored his 10th goal in the Bundesliga against Werder Bremen.[30] On 4 April, he scored a brace in 93 seconds in a 2–0 win over Union Berlin in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals.[31] In his first season in the Bundesliga, Kolo Muani scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists, which made him the league's third-highest scorer and second-highest assister.[32]

On 29 August 2023, in an interview with Sky Germany, Kolo Muani publicly revealed that Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) had made a "record offer" to sign him, and stated that he would "like to move to Paris", having informed Eintracht Frankfurt directors of his desire to leave the club.[33] He subsequently refused to train with Frankfurt, and was left out of the team's squad for a match against Levski Sofia.[34] Sporting director Markus Kroesche condemned Kolo Muani's behavior, saying that it would have "no influence on transfer business".[35]

Paris Saint-Germain

On 1 September 2023, Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain signed Kolo Muani for €80 million, with an additional €5 million in potential bonuses.[36][37] He joined the club on a five-year contract.[38]

On 15 September, Kolo Muani made his PSG debut as a substitute in a 3–2 defeat to Nice, assisting Kylian Mbappé's second goal of the match.[39] He made his Champions League debut and first start for the club in a 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund four days later.[40] On 24 September, Kolo Muani scored his first goal for PSG in a 4–0 win over Le Classique rivals Marseille; he also assisted Gonçalo Ramos's second goal in the same match.[41] On 25 October, Kolo Muani scored his first Champions League goal for PSG in a 3–0 win over AC Milan.[42] By the end of the season, he had scored nine goals and provided six assists in 40 games for PSG, contributing to successes in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions.[43] Most observers concluded that he had an underwhelming campaign, with Kolo Muani himself saying that he wished to "quickly forget" his first season with PSG.[44][45][46]

Loan to Juventus

On 23 January 2025, Kolo Muani was loaned to Serie A club Juventus until the end of the season.[47] The club announced it had signed him for a €1 million fee with €2.6 million in additional costs, plus potential bonuses adding up to €2 million.[48]

On 25 January, Kolo Muani made his Juventus debut in a 2–1 defeat to Napoli, scoring the only Juventus goal.[49] On 2 February, he scored a brace in a 4–1 win against Empoli at the Juventus Stadium.[50] On 7 February, he scored another brace in a 2–1 away victory against Como, and by finding the net in his first three Serie A games, he matched a feat last achieved for the club by Roberto Baggio in 1990.[51]

International career

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Kolo Muani was a youth international for France. He played matches for his country's under-21 and Olympic national teams.[52]

On 15 September 2022, Kolo Muani received his first call-up to the senior France national team for two UEFA Nations League matches.[53] On 16 November 2022, he replaced Christopher Nkunku in France's FIFA World Cup squad after the latter was forced to withdraw due to injury.[54][55] On 14 December, Kolo Muani scored his first goal for France, in the semi-final match against Morocco, slotting in a deflected shot from Kylian Mbappé.[56] He also became the third fastest player to score a goal as a substitute in the World Cup, after 44 seconds, only behind Richard Morales and Ebbe Sand.[56][57]

In the final against Argentina, he won a penalty which was converted into a goal by Kylian Mbappé, then scored in the penalty shootout which ended in a 4–2 defeat.[58] During the match, past the 120th minute and into the final stoppage time before penalties, Kolo Muani had an opportunity to score the go-ahead goal and potentially win the World Cup for France, but it was saved by Emiliano Martínez in what has been described as the "new 'Save of the Century'".[59] In February 2023, Kolo Muani recalled the moment by saying, "I could have lobbed him, I could have given the ball to Kylian [Mbappé], but in the moment, I didn't see him. After when you see the video, you see that there were other options, but it's too late, you cannot do anything. I still have it in my throat and it'll be there for life."[60][61][62][63][64]

On 21 November 2023, Kolo Muani scored his first goal for France after the 2022 World Cup in a 2–2 draw away to Greece in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.[65] On 17 May 2024, he was included in France's squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[66] In the round of 16 against Belgium on 1 July, Kolo Muani provoked an own goal after his shot was deflected into the Belgian net by Jan Vertonghen, securing a 1–0 victory that put France in the quarter-finals.[67] On 9 July in the semi-finals, Kolo Muani scored the opening goal in a 2–1 defeat to Spain, a header assisted by a cross from Mbappé.[68] On 14 October, Kolo Muani scored his first international brace in a 2–1 win over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League.[69] He finished 2024 as France's top scorer with six goals to his name.[70]

Player profile

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Style of play

Kolo Muani's playing style has drawn comparisons to the legendary French striker Thierry Henry. Like Henry, Kolo Muani began his career as a wide player known for his pace and trickery, but eventually transitioned into a center-forward position. Both players have a similar height of around 6'2" and possess rangy physiques. Kolo Muani's languid dribbling style and impressive speed are also reminiscent of Henry's style of play, particularly during his younger days. He has a remarkable strength on the ball and a playful approach to the game that can leave defenders trailing behind him.

France national team coach, Didier Deschamps, acknowledged Kolo Muani's many qualities, describing him as a player who has a significant presence, runs in behind from deep, and has a good finishing ability.

Frankfurt's head coach, Oliver Glasner, praised Kolo Muani's speed, tackling, dribbling, and finishing skills, noting that he is an asset to the team.

Markus Krösche, Eintracht Frankfurt's board member for sport, expressed his excitement for Kolo Muani's potential, stating that his speed, robustness, finishing skills, and tactical versatility are qualities that the team needs. He further noted that Kolo Muani's potential had attracted the interest of many clubs, and the team is delighted that he has chosen to take his next steps with them.[71]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 19 February 2025[72]
More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nantes B 2015–16 CFA 1010
2016–17 CFA 218218
2017–18 Championnat National 3 216216
2018–19 Championnat National 2 175175
2019–20 Championnat National 2 1010
2020–21 Championnat National 2 1010
Total 62196219
Nantes 2018–19 Ligue 1 60000060
2020–21 Ligue 1 379102[b]14010
2021–22 Ligue 1 3612514113
Total 792161218723
Boulogne (loan) 2019–20 Championnat National 143153
Eintracht Frankfurt 2022–23 Bundesliga 3215667[c]21[d]04623
2023–24 Bundesliga 21111[e]143
Total 34167783105026
Paris Saint-Germain 2023–24 Ligue 1 2663210[c]11[f]0409
2024–25 Ligue 1 102004[c]000142
Total 36832141105411
Juventus (loan) 2024–25 Serie A 45002[c]065
Career total 2297016102444127385
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International

As of match played 17 November 2024[73]
More information National team, Year ...
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
France 202251
202381
2024146
Total278
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As of match played 14 October 2024[73]
France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kolo Muani goal.
More information No., Date ...
List of international goals scored by Randal Kolo Muani
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
114 December 2022Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar Morocco2–02–02022 FIFA World Cup[74]
221 November 2023Agia Sophia Stadium, Athens, Greece Greece1–02–2UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[75]
326 March 2024Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France Chile2–13–2Friendly[75]
45 June 2024Stade Saint-Symphorien, Longeville-lès-Metz, France Luxembourg1–03–0Friendly[76]
59 July 2024Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany Spain1–01–2UEFA Euro 2024[77]
69 September 2024Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon, France Belgium1–02–02024–25 UEFA Nations League A[78]
714 October 2024King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium Belgium1–02–12024-25 UEFA Nations League A
82–1
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Honours

Nantes

Eintracht Frankfurt

Paris Saint-Germain

France

Individual

References

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