Top facts about Raphael Varane, Champions League hero

, who was born on April 25, 1993, is a French professional footballer who plays center back for

in the Premier League as well as the France national team.

Raphael Varane’s age

is 29.

An important fact about Raphael Varane is that he is renowned for his defensive ability and pace, and is regarded as one of the finest defenders of his time.

Prior to the 2010–11 season, Varane started practicing with the senior squad and made numerous substitute appearances in league games while playing for the French side Lens.

At the age of 17, Varane made his professional football debut in 2010, and after one season, he signed with Real Madrid.

He won 18 trophies there over the course of 10 seasons, from 2011 to 2021, including four FIFA Club World Cups, three La Liga championships, one Copa del Rey, and four UEFA Champions League crowns. He signed with Manchester United after leaving Real Madrid in 2021.

Before making his full international debut in March 2013, Varane competed for France at the under-18, under-20, and under-21 levels.

He played every minute of every game as France won the FIFA World Cup in 2018, and he was a member of the France team in 2014, when h Gaston Varane, the father of Raphael Varane, hails from the village of Le Morne-Rouge in the Martinique overseas department, an island that is a constituent part of the French Republic.

Varane is descended from the Martiniquias via his father. Coincidentally, Thierry Henry and Eric Abidal, two renowned football players, are both from this area.

On the other side, his mother, Annie Varane, comes from Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, a commune or district in northern France along the Scarpe river.

Varane was ultimately born and raised in Lille, which is located in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais area, which is the most northern part of France.

Rugby was the 29-year-first old's sport before he discovered his passion and interest in "the beautiful game," which is a little-known detail about him. He was nominated for the Best Young Player award.

Top facts about Raphael Varane:

An important fact about Raphael Varane is that he may have excelled in the sport given his height and physique, but his father said that he did not "enjoy" it; as a result, he moved to football and hasn't looked back since.

Raphael Varane early life

In the Nord-Pas-de-Calais area, in the city of Lille, Varane was born. Regarding

Raphael Varane’s parents

, it should be mentioned that his mother, Annie, was raised in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, and his father, Gaston, is a native of Le Morne-Rouge, giving him Martiniquais ancestry.

At the age of seven, Varane started playing football with the neighborhood team AS Hellemmes in the Lille Arrondissement.

Speaking about

Raphael Varane’s childhood

, it is worth mentioning that despite significant attention from Derby du Nord rivals and his native club Lille OSC, he left the club after two years and joined professional team RC Lens in July 2002.

Raphael Varane personal life

An important fact about Raphael Varane is that he has a son called Ruben and a daughter named Anas with his longtime companion Camille Tytgat.

Varane requested that Zinedine Zidane contact him again since he was in the midst of studying for his baccalaureate test when Zidane phoned regarding Real Madrid's interest in signing him in June 2011.

Professional footballer Jonathan Varane, who is now on the roster of Rodez AF, is his brother. His sister, Annabelle Varane, participated in Miss France 2019 and was crowned Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais in 2018.

Raphael Varane professional career

From a young age, Raphael Varane’s playing style drew comparisons to fellow Frenchman Laurent Blanc and he idolized Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand.

Even having a chance to play alongside his idol a decade ago with Manchester United joining

in their pursuit for the Frenchmen only for David Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson to be rejected by the teenager who was “blown away” by Real Madrid intent to sign the player with the Spanish club using Zinedine Zidane reputation to close the deal for the then Lens sensation.

Raphael Varane club career

Varane spent time at the Centre de Préformation de Football in neighboring Liévin, a training facility specifically for players from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais area, much as the club's prior valued assets Gal Kakuta and Timothée Kolodziejczak.

For two years, he trained at the facility throughout the workweek and played with Lens on the weekends.

Lens Youth

Varane swiftly advanced through the club's junior divisions after returning full-time to Lens. He was a member of the club's under-16 squad that won the Championnat National des 16 ans during the 2008–09 season, with teammates Thorgan Hazard and Geoffrey Kondogbia.

Varane was promoted to the club's under-19 squad the following year despite being two years younger than many of his colleagues.

An important

fact about Raphael Varane

is that he signed his first deal as a professional before the 2010–11 campaign. He was then elevated to the club's reserve squad for the amateur Championnat de France.

In the club's 2-0 win against Drancy in the league opener for the season, Varane made his amateur debut. In the club's next nine games, he started and the squad lost only one of them.

Lens Senior

Varane was called up to the senior squad by manager Jean-Guy Wallemme in late October of the current season to prepare ahead of the team's match against Montpellier on November 6.

He spent the whole week practicing with the club, and unexpectedly, Varane was selected for the starting lineup since center-back Alaeddine Yahia was injured.

He participated in the whole 90 minutes of the 2-0 triumph. Only the club's third clean sheet of the year, the triumph. Varane received appreciation from teammates including Adil Hermach, the captain, Éric Chelle, the attacker David Pollet, the local media, and coach Wallemme.

Varane sat on the bench for Lens's next two games against Lyon and Marseille as well as a number of other young players.

On November 30, in a 4-1 loss to Brest, he made his comeback to the starting lineup. Varane continued to start for the squad under new manager László Bölöni despite Wallemme being fired after the Brest game.

Varane was used as the defensive midfielder in the team's game against Bordeaux in December after Chelle and Yahia made their comebacks from injury.

He played as the third center back in the game and stopped Yoan Gouffran's close-range attempt in the 84th minute to keep the score at 2-1. Nevertheless, Bordeaux equalized late in the game to force a 2-2 draw.

Varane was the focus of transfer rumors that included many teams at the beginning of 2011. He extended his contract with Lens by two years, to 2015, on February 3, 2011, in an attempt to fend off interest.

In a 1-1 tie with Caen on May 8, Varane scored his first goal as a professional. He scored the equalizer in the team's subsequent game against Monaco, which ended in another 1-1 tie.

Despite the goal, the draw sent Lens, who had spent the previous two seasons in the top flight, back down to Ligue 2. Varane led Lens in its 1-0 loss to Arles-Avignon on May 21.

Real Madrid

“Varane will be joining La Liga club Real Madrid”, Lens president Gervais Martel informed a gathering of fans during a club assembly on June 22, 2011.

Prior to this, Varane had been to the Real Madrid club facilities and met with club adviser and fellow countryman Zinedine Zidane. Real Madrid announced the transfer on June 27, after Varane's passing of his physical. With the club, Varane agreed to a six-year deal.

In Real Madrid's inaugural preseason game against American team Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2011 World Football Challenge, Varane, who was given the number 19 jersey, made his club debut. He entered the game as a halftime substitution as Real Madrid easily won 4-1.

Four days later, in a 3-0 victory against Guadalajara of Mexico, Varane got his debut start for the team. In the last stretch of the preseason, he participated in seven of the eight games Real Madrid played.

On September 21, Varane made his professional debut for Real Madrid in the team's league game against Racing de Santander. As the game finished 0-0, he began at center defense with Ricardo Carvalho.

Three days later, against Rayo Vallecano, in the squad's subsequent league game, Varane started and scored his first goal for the team with a flying back-heel strike from a corner kick from Mesut zil.

The score was 6-2 for Real Madrid. Varane's strike made him, at 18 years and 152 days, the youngest foreign player to score for Real Madrid in a competitive game.

In a 3-0 group stage victory against Dutch side Ajax on September 27, he made his UEFA Champions League debut.

Two months later, Varane faced the Croatian team Dinamo Zagreb in his second Champions League game. In the 6-2 victory, Varane began the game and provided an assist on the team's fifth goal, which was scored by José Callejón. Real Madrid took top position in its group as a result of the win.

Varane changed to the number 2 jersey before to the 2012–13 campaign. He did not play in Real Madrid's first four league games, but on September 18 against English team Manchester City, the club's first UEFA Champions League group stage encounter, he made his season debut.

Varane started and participated throughout the full 3-2 Real Madrid victory. Varane made his El Clásico debut against Barcelona on January 30, 2013, during the 2012–13 Copa del Rey.

He blocked a number of risky Barcelona efforts, including a shot by Xavi that he pushed away from the goal. He finished off his effort with a headed goal in the 1-1 tie. In a Clasico game, he also became the second-youngest foreign player to score for Real Madrid.

On February 26, 2013, Varane headed in a corner kick from Mesut Zil to score Madrid's third goal in a 3-1 away victory in the second leg at the Camp Nou.

After his efforts against Barcelona and Manchester United, Varane received accolades from former World Cup victor Bixente Lizarazu.

Varane maintained his impressive play in the opening leg of Madrid's 3-0 victory against Galatasaray in the Champions League quarterfinal. No interceptions were made on any of his 27 throws, and all of his tackles were successful, with Didier Drogba receiving the most of them.

An important fact about Raphael Varane is that he was selected by Marca readers as one of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history" in April 2013.

Following an injury, he sustained during his last league match of the 2012–13 season against Real Sociedad, Varane successfully had surgery on his right knee on May 14, 2013.

In the 2014 Copa del Rey Final, where Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 on April 16, Varane replaced Karim Benzema in the last seconds.

In lieu of the more seasoned Pepe, he played the whole 120 minutes of Real Madrid's 4-1 victory against Atlético Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final.

After Cristiano Ronaldo scored the final goal in extra time, Varane booted the ball toward Diego Simeone, the manager of Atlético Madrid, forcing him to storm onto the field in retaliation.

He played 23 times for Madrid in the 2016–17 La Liga season, despite suffering from a few ailments. When Madrid won the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League, he started the game in the championship. On September 27, 2017, Varane's contract was extended to 2022.

He made eleven appearances in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, which Madrid won for the third time in a row and a record 13th time overall.

As a result of his club and international achievements during the year, he was selected for the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist in 2018, coming in at number seven in the final rankings.

He was chosen as the starting center-back for both the 2018 FIFPro Men's World11 and the UEFA Team of the Year. He was also ranked ninth in The Best FIFA Men's Player, behind Kevin De Bruyne. He played in 43 games during the 2018–19 season, winning the FIFA Club World Cup.

The next league season, when Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga championship, he was a consistent starter.

Madrid was defeated by Manchester City in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Madrid lost the game 2-1 in the second leg at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, with both goals being attributed to Varane.

Varane's errors were brought on by Gabriel Jesus' intense pressure, which caused Varane to lose control of the ball twice. Since then, he has expressed regret for his errors.

Manchester United

Real Madrid and Manchester United confirmed on July 27, 2021 that they had reached an agreement for the transfer of Varane, subject to a medical exam and the completion of player contracts.

Following Varane's announcement in front of a raucous Old Trafford crowd before United's Premier League opener against Leeds United, the deal was finalized on August 14, 2021.

Amad Diallo's number 19 jersey, which he also wore during his first season at Real Madrid, was gifted to him.

On August 29, 2021, he made his professional debut and assisted on the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Varane scored the club's first goal in a 3-0 victory against Brentford on May 2, 2022.

Raphael Varane international career

An important

fact about Raphael Varane

is that he represented France in youth international competition in the under-18, under-20, and under-21 age groups.

He was called up to the under-17 squad before participating for the under-18 team, but he did not play.

On August 24, 2010, Varane made his under-18 team debut against Denmark in a friendly game. He added the last goal to a 2-0 win on his debut.

Due to his growing involvement with the Lens first team, Varane declined further calls to the under-18 squad. As a consequence, he missed the Tournoi de Limoges and a competition in Israel.

For the first time, on February 3, 2011, Erick Mombaerts called him up to the under-21 squad for a friendly match against Slovakia.

An important fact about Raphael Varane is that he was a member of the main French national team roster for a friendly match against Uruguay in August 2012, however he did not play.

On March 22, 2013, against Georgia in a World Cup qualifying game, he made his debut for France. France won 3-1. He was added to Didier Deschamps' team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on May 13, 2014.

He played in center defense with Mamadou Sakho for Les Bleus' first World Cup match, a 3-0 victory against Honduras, on June 15, 2014.

He also started for France against Switzerland in the second group match and against Nigeria and Germany in the elimination rounds, as France was defeated 1-0 by Germany in the quarterfinals.

 Mats Hummels scored the game-winning goal by heading the crucial corner kick away from Varane, who was held off by the German defender.

Varane was included on the three-man shortlist for the tournament's Best Young Player honor despite this.

When he replaced Blaise Matuidi as France's captain at halftime of a 3-0 victory against Armenia on October 14, Varane made history as the team's youngest captain.

The next match, a friendly at home against Sweden on November 18, saw him chosen as the team's starting captain, and he scored his first goal for France, giving Les Bleus a 1-0 victory.

Due to a thigh injury, he was forced to withdraw from the UEFA Euro 2016 on May 24, and Adil Rami took his place. Varane was included to France's 23-man roster for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on May 17.

An important fact about Raphael Varane is that he went on to start all seven of France's games and participate fully in each one. Varane scored the first goal with a header in France's 2-0 quarterfinal triumph against Uruguay.

Varane joined Christian Karembeu (in 1998),

(in 2002), and Sami Khedira as the only players to win the World Cup and the Champions League in the same year.

France went on to win the championship for the second time in history (in 2014). At the time they won the World Cup, all of the players, including Varane, were playing for Real Madrid. He was a member of the team for the UEFA Euro 2020 in May 2021.

Raphael Varane style of play

An important

fact about Raphael Varane

is that he is a "really first-class player" who is "comfortable on both the tactical and technical level," according to Lens youth coach Éric Assadourian.

In a news conference after the Copa del Rey's El Clásico on January 30, 2013, then-Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka mentioned Varane and said, "It's apparent that Varane has a good head on his shoulders and will keep progressing."

Many people compare Varane to Fernando Hierro because of his technique, but on a physical level, Varane is stronger and far quicker, according to former France defender Frank Leboeuf, who thinks Varane has the potential to be greater than Hierro, a legend of Real Madrid.

An important fact about Raphael Varane is that he has been hailed as one of the top defenders in football by Fernando Hierro and José Mourinho.

Some more facts about Raphael Varane:

Raphael's father sometimes said that he did not need to coerce his son into attending training since Raphael always found it enjoyable. He enjoyed working hard since concentration was one of his "strong points."

The Frenchman would undoubtedly be among the top 10 most expensive defenders in the world after proving himself on the field.

According to goal.com, Manchester United has agreed to sign him to a 50-million-euro contract with a 2025 expiration date. On the list of the Top 10 Most Expensive Center-Backs of All Time, Raphael Varane comes in at number 10.

It was rumored that Varane had been signed by the Spanish giants Real Madrid for around 10 million euros back in 2011, when Jose Mourinho was in charge.

Varane's value has improved significantly since his magnificent stint at Los Blancos, as seen by the jump of 40 million euros.

All the top teams were interested in him back in 2011, while he was still playing for RC Lens, including Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain.

At that point, he was summoned by his countryman and esteemed manager, Zinedine Zidane, who advised him to go to Real Madrid. Varane, 18, was busy studying for his baccalaureate exams and couldn't be bothered to be disturbed, so it seems that Zizou made the contact at the incorrect moment.

He admitted to Foot Mercato that the phone continued ringing for his upcoming move while he was working on his baccalaureate revision.

"At eighteen, you may not necessarily have the expertise to manage this type of issue," he said. “Among all the calls, Zizou's was the one I picked up to discuss Real's interests.”

The young guy didn't respond much to the caller's voice since he didn't instantly identify it, and without giving it much thought, he asked the 1998 World Cup Winner to phone him again later. In a friendly encounter against Georgia in 2013, he made his debut at the international level.

Varane became the youngest player to ever lead Les Bleus only a year later, on October 14, 2014, when he was 21 years old.

Varane replaced Blaise Matuidi as captain during the second half of a friendly international game against Armenia, and he also scored the game-winning goal. In the end, he helped Didier Deschamps' team defeat the Armenians 3-0.

Varane, who joined Real Madrid at the age of 18, had already won three UEFA Champions League championships with Los Blancos by the time he was 24 years old, in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Paulo Maldini, an Italian defender and captain of AC Milan, had previously held the record for winning the UCL championship three times by the age of 25, but he broke it by doing so at the age of 24.

Raphael Varane: Destin du Champion (Champion's Fate), an Amazon Prime original series on the life of Raphael Varane, was released in 2019.

It mostly focuses on the athlete's development and progression in football. His career took off at Santiago Bernabéu after joining the French team RC Lens. It also emphasizes his success with the French football team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Despite leading a high-profile existence, the documentary illuminates Varane's personal and professional life and reveals his modest and discrete nature.

Raphael Varane and his French colleagues received the highest honor granted by the nation on a French national—the Knight of The Legion of Honour—for winning the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron presided over the event, which took place at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

With a final score of 4-2, France defeated Croatia in the 2018 World Cup Final. Varane was a star performer on the field and participated in every minute of play.

He has won several competitions as a successful team player, with the most of his notable wins coming with the Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid.

During his outstanding tenure at Madrid, he won several titles and trophies, including four UEFA Champions League championships (2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18) and four FIFA Club World Cup medals (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)

An important fact about Raphael Varane is that he has also won three La Liga championships, one Copa del Rey, three Supercopas de Espaa, and three UEFA Super Cup competitions.

He has won two major international competitions with the French national side, including the 2021 UEFA Nations League and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

He had been included in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Fantasy Team, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup Dream Team on an individual basis.

In 2018, he also participated in the Men's World Team of the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

Varane has, in comparison, avoided the perception that defenders are aggressive on the field and often get sent off with a card.

Varane has, in comparison, avoided the perception that defenders are aggressive on the field and often get sent off with a card. In 360 appearances for Real Madrid, Varane only collected 24 bookings.

When he played against Athletic Bilbao in 2016, he received a double booking that led to his first red card. On Real Madrid TV through FotMob, he was questioned about it, and he seemed agitated as he responded that he always tries to play honestly and does not play to harm people.

He said that despite his respect for the officials, he thought their judgments were unfair. He received his second red card in 2019 and was immediately sent from the field during a game against Espanyol.

Camille Tytgat, his longtime lover and high school sweetheart who also happens to be a lawyer, and Varane are married. Together, they have two kids: a girl called Anas who was born on October 25th of last year and a boy named Ruben who they welcomed in 2018.

Jonathan and Anthony Varane are two of Varane's brothers, while Annabelle Varane is one of his sisters. In the Miss France 2019 competition, Annabelle competed on behalf of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Jonathan, the younger sibling, is playing football like his brother. On July 1, 2021, the 20-year-old began playing for RC Lens as a center midfielder. He has an agreement in place with the French team till June 30, 2024. Raphael Varane is represented and managed by Anthony Varane.

Varane was selected by the public of the Spanish newspaper Marca for Real Madrid's "greatest-ever foreign XI" in 2013, only two years after his move from Lens.

The Frenchman joined the ranks of all-time greats like Alfredo Di Stefano, Roberto Carlos, and Cristiano Ronaldo despite having played less than 50 games for Los Blancos at the time. His claim to that position is now without a doubt uncontested after eight years.

Raphael had a kind of annus mirabilis three years before. He won the World Cup and the Champions League in a span of 50 days, becoming one of just four players to do it in the same calendar year (since the former was revamped in the 1990s).

Funny enough, the other three were also Real Madrid athletes: Sami Khedira (2002), Roberto Carlos (2000), and Christian Karembeu (2014).

Varane has only scored five goals for his country and 17 for Real Madrid in the last ten years, but when he does score, it usually comes at crucial times. He previously netted in both halves of a Copa Del Rey semi-final with arch rivals Barcelona.

four years ago, he scored the opening goal in France's 2-0 World Cup quarter-final victory against Edinson Cavani's Uruguay. In February, as Los Blancos chased Atletico at the top of La Liga, his last two goals for the club helped Zidane's team overcome a 1-0 deficit to defeat Huesca.

Raphael Varane social media

Regarding

Raphael Varane social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with more than 18M followers. On the page, we can see various pictures of him along with his fans and family.

He also has a Twitter account (

) with 7.1M followers. He often posts new stuff on his Twitter page.

Raphael Varane body measurements

Speaking about

Raphael Varane body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the player is 191cm and 81kg.

Raphael Varane net worth and salary

Raphael Varane's net worth

is estimated to be around $20 million (USD) as of 2022 and is supposed to make £12.5 million a year at Manchester United. He earns money through his professional job and by endorsing a few businesses.

He supports many sports and apparel companies, including Puma and Boss. He has previously supported Nike, a well-known sportswear company. According to reports, he makes between 8 and 10 million euros from his sponsorships each year.

Rapheal Varane has a wide selection of sports automobiles in his garage, as other players do. Among the vehicles he owns are the Audi A7, Jaguar XE, and F Pace.

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