Désiré Nonka-Maho Doué (; born 3 June 2005) is a French professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as an

attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

or winger for club

Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...

and the

France national team France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He is considered to be one of the best young players in the world. Doué started his career at

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

, 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 A treble in association football is achieved when a club team wins three trophies in a single season. A continental treble involves winning the club's top-level domestic league competition, main domestic cup competition, and main continental tro ...

, including their first-ever

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...

title. His league performances also earned him the

Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year The UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year is an official award given by the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNFP) to a player aged 23 years or under at the start of the season whose performances are considered to be the best i ...

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 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, where he won a silver medal. He made his senior debut for

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in March 2025.

Club career

Rennes

Doué began playing football with the youth academy of

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. On 14 April 2022, he signed his first professional contract until 2024. On 7 August 2022, Doué made his professional debut for Rennes as a substitute in a 1–0

Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...

defeat at home to

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

. 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. On 6 October, Doué scored an 89th-minute winning goal for Rennes in a 2–1

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...

home victory over

Dynamo Kyiv The Football Club 'Dynamo Kyiv', also known as Dynamo Kyiv, or simply Dynamo, ( ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Dynamo Sports Society ...

, his first European goal. The goal made him the youngest ever French scorer in European club competitions at 17 years, four months and four days of age. On 9 October, Doué scored a brilliant half volley in the

Derby Breton The (, ''Brittany Derby''), also known as the Derby Breton (), is a football match in France. The match can potentially designate any match two clubs based in the historic province of Brittany; however, most of the time, it is employed by each c ...

against

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

, sealing a 3–0 win less than 60 seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 83rd minute. On 2 November, Doué extended this contract with Rennes for another year until 2025. On 9 April 2023, Doué found himself substituted out in the final minutes of the 3–1 defeat against

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

after being introduced from the bench 18 minutes earlier. Rennes manager

Bruno Génésio Bruno "Pep" Génésio (born 1 September 1966) is a French football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the head coach of Ligue 1 club Lille. Early life Génésio was born on 1 September 1966 in Lyon. Playing career Gén� ...

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". 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 The 2023–24 Ligue 1, also known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, was the 86th season of the Ligue 1, France's premier football competition. The season began on 11 August 2023 and concluded on 19 May 2024. The relegation play-off was ...

season in a 3–1 win against Nantes. On 26 January 2024 against Lyon, he assisted Rennes' first goal by

Martin Terrier Martin Albert Frédéric Terrier (born 4 March 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as winger or forward for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. Terrier played over 200 games and scored over 60 goals in Ligue 1 for Lille, Strasbo ...

, and scored the second in a 3–2 win, playing as a left winger.

Paris Saint-Germain

On 17 August 2024, Doué joined fellow Ligue 1 club

in a transfer worth €50 million, not including bonuses. He signed a contract valid until 30 June 2029. In doing so, he rejected an offer from German club

Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...

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 Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

, wearing the number 14 shirt. In the post-match interview, Doué stated that he didn't regret his decision to sign for PSG instead of Bayern. In the next match on 1 September, he recorded his first assist for PSG, a cross for a

Randal Kolo Muani Randal Kolo Muani (born 5 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Juventus, on loan from club Paris Saint-Germain, and the France national team. Kolo Muani began his professional career at Nantes, ...

header to seal a 3–1 victory over

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

. On 18 September, Doué made his

debut at the Parc des Princes against Spanish side

Girona Girona (; ) is the capital city of the Province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 106,476 in 2024, but the p ...

. On 10 December, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–0 away win over

RB Salzburg Fußballclub Red Bull Salzburg, commonly known as simply Red Bull Salzburg, is an Austrian professional football club based in Wals-Siezenheim, that competes in the Austrian Bundesliga, the top flight of Austrian Football. Their home ground is ...

. On 15 December, he was given his first man of the match award in Ligue 1 as a PSG player for his performance in the 3–1 home win against

, where he provided the assist for

Ousmane Dembélé Masour Ousmane Dembélé (; born 15 May 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker or winger for club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for ...

's opening goal and won a penalty in the second half, which was converted by Vitinha. 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

Stade Brestois Stade Brestois 29, commonly known as Stade Brestois or simply Brest,''Stade Brest'', used by some English-speaking media outlets and journalists, is not a grammatically correct name for the club. is a French professional Association football, f ...

, where he scored a goal and provided an assist in an eventual 7–0 win for PSG. His 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. On 11 March, in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, Doué came on as a substitute for

Bradley Barcola Bradley Jean-Manuel Essolisam Addo Barcola (born 2 September 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. After coming up through Lyon's academy, Barcola ...

and scored the decisive penalty at

Anfield Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...

that won the Parisians the tie in a second leg comeback after having lost the first leg 1–0. 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 The Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, UNFP Player of the Month trophy is an award that recognises the best Ligue 1 player each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to ...

. On 5 April, Doué scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over

Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...

, securing his club's 13th Ligue 1 title. Four days later, he scored the equalizer in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...

from outside the box, with PSG going on to win the tie 5–4 on aggregate to advance to the semi-final stage. He went on feature as PSG's starting right winger in both legs of the of the semi-final against

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

as PSG reached the second Champions League final in the club's history with a 3–1 aggregate win over the London club. At the end of the league season, he was named as both the

Young Player of the Year Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

and in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year at the 2025 UNFP awards. On 31 May, Doué scored twice and provided an assist to

Achraf Hakimi Achraf Hakimi Mouh (; born 4 November 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Morocco national team. Known for his pace and attacking ability, Hakimi is regarded as one of the ...

in a 5–0 win over

Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...

in the Champions League final, being awarded

man of the match In team sport, a player of the match award (also known as man of the match or woman of the match) is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chose ...

, as his club secured their first-ever title in the competition. In addition, he became the youngest player to score a brace in the final, aged 19 years and 362 days, surpassing

Eusébio Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (; 25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" or "O Rei" ("The King"), was a Portuguese Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Stri ...

's record, at 20 years and 97 days, in 1962. He also became the youngest assist provider, overtaking

Jude Bellingham Jude Victor William Bellingham (born 29 June 2003) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid and the England national football team, England national team. Finis ...

's record, aged 20 years and 338 days, from the previous season and the second player to have a goal and assist in a

final, after

Teddy Sheringham Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham (born 2 April 1966) is an English football manager and former player. He played as a forward, mostly as a second striker, in a 24-year professional career. Sheringham was part of the Manchester United team tha ...

in 1999. Due to his impressive performances Doue was named Uefa Champions League Young Player of the Season

International career

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 The 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-17 Euro 2022) was the 19th UEFA European Under-17 Championship (38th edition if the Under-16 era is also included), the annual international youth football championship organise ...

and the U19s in the

2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship The 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-19 Euro 2024) was the 21st edition of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship (71st edition if the Under-18 and Junior eras are included), the annual international youth associ ...

qualifiers. Doué debuted for the France under-21 team on 13 October 2023 in the

UEFA European under-21 championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the comp ...

qualifying match against

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

, where he picked up two yellow cards and was sent off before the final whistle. On 22 March 2024, Doué made his debut for the

France Olympic football team The France Olympic football team, also known as the France national under-23 football team, represents France in international football competitions in Olympic Games. It has been active since 1948, and first competed in 1948. Olympic football was ...

in a friendly match against

Cote D'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...

, scoring two goals in a 3–2 win. He played in five matches at the

2024 Olympic games The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

, including a notable appearance from the bench in the final against

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, 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

and made his debut in the

2024–25 UEFA Nations League The 2024–25 UEFA Nations League is the fourth season of the UEFA Nations League tournament, an international association football competition involving the men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA. The competition is being held f ...

quarter-final against

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

. On 8 June 2025, Doue received the bronze medal for getting 3rd place in the

2024-25 UEFA Nations League A coxless four, abbreviated as a 4- and also called a straight four, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain. The crew consists of four ...

with France after a 2-0 victory against Germany. He totally played 138 minutes in the tournament.

Style of play and reception

Doué's natural position is an

, 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. According to journalist Liam Tharme, who analyzed the player for ''

The Athletic ''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...

'', 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).

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

describes Doué as "an entertainer at heart, full of tricks and skills designed to shake up opponents". 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

, which has placed him in the top six percent of midfielders in the league. 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". Veteran midfielder

Nemanja Matić Nemanja Matić ( sr-Cyrl, Немања Матић, ; born 1 August 1988) is a Serbian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon. Matić began his senior career at ...

who signed for Rennes in the summer of 2023 stated that Doué has great potential. Doué has also drawn comparisons to former PSG player

Neymar Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (; born 5 February 1992), also known as Neymar Júnior or simply Neymar, is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left winger, attacking midfielder or Forward (association foo ...

, 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".

Personal life

Doué was born in

, Maine-et-Loire, to an Ivorian father and French mother. He holds French and Ivorian citizenships. His brother

Guéla Doué Guéla Maho Lewis Doué (born 17 October 2002) is a professional association football, footballer who plays as a right-back for Ligue 1 club RC Strasbourg Alsace, Strasbourg. Born in France, he plays for the Ivory Coast national football team, I ...

and his cousins

Yann Gboho Gnantin Yann-Alexandre Gboho (born 14 January 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Ligue 1 club Toulouse. Born in Ivory Coast, he is a former France youth international. Club career On 24 May 2018, Gboho s ...

and

Marc-Olivier Doué Marc-Olivier Doué Séné (born 11 October 2000) is a French professional footballer who plays for club Castellón. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he can also play as a central defender. Career On 12 October 2018, Doué signed with the Dutch c ...

are also professional footballers. Doué has recognised both Neymar and

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...

as his footballing idols.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Paris Saint-Germain *

: 2024–25 *

Coupe de France The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...

: 2024–25 *

Trophée des Champions The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super cup, super cups found in many other count ...

: 2024–25 France U17 *

UEFA European Under-17 Championship The UEFA European Under-17 Championship, or simply the Euro Under-17, is an annual Association football, football competition contested by the men's under-17 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Spain national under-17 football team, ...

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

France U23 *

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

silver medal A silver medal, in sports and other similar areas involving competition, is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, ...

France *

UEFA Nations League The UEFA Nations League is an international European football competition played by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The competition was devised to minimise friendlies a ...

third place: 2024–25 Individual * UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: March 2025 *

: 2024–25 * UNFP Ligue 1

Team of the Year Team of the Year may refer to: * BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award * Canadian Press Team of the Year Award *GPA Gaelic Team of the Year * IRB International Sevens Team of the Year * IRB International Team of the Year * J.League Team of ...

: 2024–25 * UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season: 2024–25 *UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2024–25 Orders *

Knight of the National Order of Merit A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

: 2024

References

External links

Profile
at the Paris Saint-Germain FC website * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doue, Desire 2005 births Living people Footballers from Angers French men's footballers Men's association football midfielders Men's association football wingers Stade Rennais FC players Paris Saint-Germain FC players Championnat National 3 players Ligue 1 players France men's youth international footballers France men's under-21 international footballers France men's international footballers Olympic footballers for France Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in football Olympic silver medalists for France Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite French sportspeople of Ivorian descent 21st-century French sportsmen UEFA Champions League–winning players