Randal Kolo Muani

Randal Kolo Muani (born 5 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint Germain and the France national team.

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 was born on 5 December 1998 in Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis, to parents born in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo. He holds both French and Congolese nationalities. He acquired French nationality on 3 September 2008, through the collective effect of his parents' naturalization.

Club career

Nantes

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

In August 2019, Kolo Muani joined Boulogne on a season-long loan deal. 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. At Boulogne, he demonstrated his talents and contributed 3 goals and 5 assists, helping the club reach third place in the standings in the tournament, which ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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. 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. During the play-offs, Kolo Muani scored one goal in two matches, helping Nantes avoid relegation. During the following season, he won his first trophy with the club, the 2021–22 Coupe de France.

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. He signed a five-year deal with the club. On 26 October 2022, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 2–1 win over Marseille, 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.

On 7 February 2023, Kolo Muani scored his first double in the DFB-Pokal in a 4–2 home victory over Darmstadt. Eleven days later, he scored his 10th goal in the Bundesliga against Werder Bremen. On 4 April, he scored a brace in 93 seconds in a 2–0 win over Union Berlin in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals. 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.

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. He subsequently refused to train with Frankfurt, and was left out of the team's squad for a match against Levski Sofia. Sporting director Markus Kroesche condemned Kolo Muani's behavior, saying that it would have "no influence on transfer business".

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. He joined the club on a five-year contract.

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. He made his Champions League debut and first start for the club in a 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund four days later. 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. On 25 October, Kolo Muani scored his first Champions League goal for PSG in a 3–0 win over AC Milan.

International career

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

On 15 September 2022, Kolo Muani received his first call-up to the senior France national team for two UEFA Nations League matches. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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"". Kolo Muani recalls the moment by saying "I could have lobbed him, or find Kylian Mbappé [to the left]. But in the moment, I didn't see him. It's only when you watch back that you discover the other options. It's too late. It still sticks in my throat and it'll be there for life."

Player profile

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.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 27 April 2024

International

As of match played 26 March 2024

As of match played 26 March 2024

France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kolo Muani goal.

Honours

Nantes

• Coupe de France: 2021–22

Eintracht Frankfurt

• DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2022–23

Paris Saint-Germain

• Trophée des Champions: 2023

France

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2022

Individual

• Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2022–23
• DFB-Pokal top goalscorer: 2022–23
• VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2022–23
• VDV Bundesliga Newcomer of the Season: 2022–23

References

External links

• Profile at the Paris Saint-Germain F.C. website
• Randal Kolo Muani at the French Football Federation (in French)
• Randal Kolo Muani – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French
• Randal Kolo Muani – UEFA competition record (archive)