Benjamin Pavard

Location: Munich, Germany

The Frenchman all smiles as he enjoys Oktoberfest in Germany. The Bavarian capital of Munich is his home for the foreseeable future after his big money move from VfB Stuttgart. (Image: Instagram)

Born in Maubeuge, France, he began his youth career in US Jeumont as a six-year old, but then moved to LOSC Lille in 2005 to complete the major part of his developmental phase. On 31 January 2015, the teenage defender would make his Ligue 1 and senior-team debut, featuring in a 1-1 draw against FC Nantes. A lack of opportunities would see him move to 2.Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart ahead of the 2016/17 campaign. The Frenchman scored on his debut for the German side in a 4-0 win over SpVgg Greuther Fürth. His versatility proved invaluable as Stuttgart finished top of the table come the end of the season to secure promotion to Germany’s top flight. The next couple of seasons would prove difficult for the club as they tried to deal with the increasing demands of Bundesliga football. The Frenchman performed admirably, making 63 league appearances, and after Stuttgart’s relegation, he was singled out by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich as a potential target. On the international scene, he was selected as a part of France’s 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The defender had an exceptional tournament, and also scored a sensational volley in the quarter-final stage against Argentina, which was later voted ‘Goal of the Tournament’. France would eventually go on to lift the World Cup trophy in Moscow. On 9 January 2019, Bayern Munich signed the Frenchman to a five-year deal. On 3 August 2019, he made his debut for FC Hollywood against Borrusia Dortmund in the 2019 DFL-Supercup.