Raphaël Varane is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United.
He is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world and one of the most successful players of his generation, having won 18 trophies with Real Madrid and the FIFA World Cup with France.
He is known for his defensive skills, leadership, speed and aerial ability.
File
- Full name: Raphaël Xavier Varane
- Date of birth: April 25, 1993
- Age: 30 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Lille, France
- Nationality: French
- Occupation: Soccer player
- Height: 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
- Parents: Gaston Varane and Annie Varane
- Siblings: Jonathan Varane, Anthony Varane and Annabelle Varane
- Spouse: Camille Tytgat
- Children: Ruben Varane and Anais Varane
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $35 million
Early life and education
Raphaël Varane, now 30 years old, was born on April 25, 1993 in the city of Lille in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.
Raphaël Varane is a descendant of his father, Gaston, who was originally from Le Morne-Rouge. In turn, his mother, Annie, was raised in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux.
He has three siblings: Jonathan, Anthony and Annabelle. He grew up in a humble family and developed a passion for football at a very early age.
He began playing for local club AS Hellemmes at the age of seven and joined professional club RC Lens in 2002, despite receiving interest from hometown club Lille OSC.
He spent time at the Centre de Préformation de Football in nearby Liévin, a training centre dedicated to players from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.
He attended the Lycée Fernand Darchicourt in Hénin-Beaumont, where he obtained his baccalaureate in 2010. He also studied business administration at the University of Lille but had to interrupt his studies when he moved to Spain to join Real Madrid in 2011.
Personal life
Raphaël Varane married his childhood love, Camille Tytgat, in 2015. They met when they were both teenagers and have been together ever since.
They have two children: a son, Ruben, born in 2017, and a daughter, Anais, born in 2020. They live in Manchester, England, where Varane plays for Manchester United.
Varane is a devout Catholic with a cross tattooed on his right arm. He is also fluent in French, Spanish and English. He is involved in various charitable causes, such as UNICEF, the Red Cross and the Varane Foundation, which he founded in 2018 to support education and social inclusion for children in France and Africa.
Career
Raphaël Varane began his professional career with RC Lens in 2010, making his debut in a Ligue 1 match against Montpellier at the age of 17.
He quickly established himself as a regular starter and impressed with his performances, attracting the attention of several European clubs, including Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
He chose to join Real Madrid in 2011, signing a six-year contract for a fee of €10 million. He was recommended by compatriot and former Real Madrid player Zinedine Zidane, who was then the club’s sporting director.
He made his Real Madrid debut in a Copa del Rey match against Racing Santander in September 2011, becoming the youngest foreign player to play for the club at the age of 18 years and 152 days. He scored his first goal for the club in a Champions League match against Ajax in December 2011.
Varane became a key player for Real Madrid under manager José Mourinho, who hailed him as the best young defender in the world. He helped the club win La Liga in his first season and the Spanish Super Cup.
He also played a key role in the club’s run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, where he scored two goals against Barcelona in the quarter-finals and another against Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals.
However, he suffered a knee injury in May 2013 that kept him sidelined for months and hampered his progress.
He returned to action in November 2013 but struggled to regain form and fitness, and had to compete with Pepe and Sergio Ramos for a place in the starting line-up.
Varane regained his confidence and consistency under coach Carlo Ancelotti, who gave him more playing opportunities.
He won his first Champions League title with Real Madrid in 2014, beating city rivals Atlético Madrid in the final. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup that same year. He formed a solid partnership with Ramos in the heart of the defence and became a regular for the club.
He won his second Champions League title in 2016, defeating Atlético Madrid in the final. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup for the second time in 2016.
Varane continued his success with Real Madrid under manager Zinedine Zidane, who returned to the club as head coach in 2016.
He won his third Champions League title in 2017, becoming the first player in history to win three consecutive Champions League titles with the same club.
He also won his second La Liga title, the UEFA Super Cup and his third FIFA Club World Cup.
He won his fourth Champions League title in 2018, again beating Liverpool in the final. He also won his second Spanish Super Cup in 2017. He was made one of the club’s vice-captains in 2018 following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
He reached his 300th appearance for Real Madrid in 2019, becoming the youngest defender to do so in the club’s history. He won his third La Liga title in 2020 and his third Spanish Super Cup in 2020.
Varane left Real Madrid in 2021 after 10 seasons with the club. He signed a four-year contract with Manchester United, joining former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who returned to the club in 2021.
Net worth
Raphaël Varane is a millionaire. Varane is estimated to be worth around $35 million, earning him a spot on the list of the world’s richest athletes.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @raphaelvarane
- Twitter Username: @raphaelvarane
