Benjamin Pavard

Benjamin Jacques Marcel Pavard (French pronunciation: ​[bɛ̃ʒamɛ̃ pavaʁ]; born 28 March 1996) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender for Bayern Munich and the France national team. Although usually deployed as a centre-back, he is also capable of playing as a right-back.

Benjamin Pavard
Pavard with France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Jacques Marcel Pavard[1]
Date of birth (1996-03-28) 28 March 1996[2]
Place of birth Maubeuge, France
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Playing position(s) Defender
Club information
Current team
 Bayern Munich
Number 5
Youth career
2002–2005 US Jeumont
2005–2015 Lille
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2016 Lille B 20 (1)
2015–2016 Lille 21 (0)
2016–2019 VfB Stuttgart 84 (2)
2019– Bayern Munich 31 (5)
National team‡
2015 France U19 4 (0)
2015–2017 France U21 15 (0)
2017– France 27 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:21, 20 June 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:56, 18 November 2019 (UTC)

He began his career at Lille in Ligue 1 and transferred to VfB Stuttgart in 2016, where he won the 2. Bundesliga in his first season. In January 2019 he agreed a move to Bayern Munich, which was completed after Stuttgart's relegation at the end of the season. He made his international debut for France in November 2017, and won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Early career

Born in Maubeuge, Nord, near the Belgian border, Pavard first played with his hometown club in Jeumont, where former France international striker Jean-Pierre Papin also began his career.[3]

Pavard joined Lille's academy at the age of nine.[3] He made his Ligue 1 debut on 31 January 2015 against FC Nantes, playing the full game in a 1–1 away draw.[4] Pavard made 21 league appearances across two seasons for Lille, before leaving the club in 2016.[3]

VfB Stuttgart

On 30 August 2016, Pavard moved to VfB Stuttgart, signing a four-year contract.[5] He made his debut in the 2. Bundesliga on 3 October, scoring in a 4–0 home win over SpVgg Greuther Fürth.[6][7] He played 21 games[8] and his team ended the season as league champions.[9]

Pavard made his Bundesliga debut on 19 August in a 2–0 loss at Hertha BSC.[10] He scored his first goal in the Bundesliga with a delightful back header on 29 October in a 3–0 win over SC Freiburg at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.[11][3] He extended his contract with Stuttgart on 20 December 2017 until 30 June 2021.[12]

He was one of only four players to feature in every single second of the 2017–18 Bundesliga season.[8] He played in several positions, namely right-back, centre-back, defensive midfielder and right wing, but after the appointment of Tayfun Korkut as manager in January 2018 he was exclusively a centre back; the team conceded 10 goals in their last 14 games as they went from near the relegation places to finish 7th, only just missing out on a UEFA Europa League place.[8]

In 2018–19, Pavard was again a regular as Stuttgart fought relegation all season, which was confirmed with defeat to 1. FC Union Berlin in a playoff.[13]

Bayern Munich

On 9 January 2019, Bayern Munich confirmed Pavard would join the club for the 2019–20 season, signing a five-year contract lasting until 30 June 2024.[14]

He made his competitive debut on 3 August in a 2–0 defeat in the 2019 DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund, as an 80th-minute substitute for Thiago Alcântara.[15] On 31 August he scored for the first time to equalise in a 6–1 home win over 1. FSV Mainz 05.[16]

International career

On 6 November 2017, Pavard was selected by France's head coach Didier Deschamps for the friendly matches against Wales and Germany.[17] He made his debut against the Welsh on 10 November in a 2–0 win at the Stade de France, replacing Christophe Jallet at half time.[18]

On 17 May 2018, he was called up to the 23-man French squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[19] On 16 June, Pavard made his World Cup debut in a 2–1 victory over Australia.[20] On 30 June, Pavard scored his first international goal, a long range shot from outside the penalty area, in a 4–3 victory over Argentina in the World Cup's round of 16.[21] The goal was later voted as goal of the tournament[22] and nominated for goal of the year.[23] He also became the first French defender to score a goal in the World Cup since Lilian Thuram scored against Croatia in the 1998 semi-final.[24] Pavard won the World Cup, after starting all of France's games except for their last group match against Denmark.[25]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 20 June 2020[26]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lille 2014–15 Ligue 1 800000— —80
2015–16 1301030— —170
Total 21010300000250
VfB Stuttgart 2016–17 2. Bundesliga 21100———211
2017–18 Bundesliga 34120———361
2018–19 29000——20310
Total 84220—0020882
Bayern Munich 2019–20 Bundesliga 31550—7010445
Career total 1367803070301577

    International
    As of match played 16 November 2019[27]
    Appearances and goals by national team and year
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    France 201720
    2018161
    201990
    Total271

    International goals
    Scores and results list France's goal tally first.
    GoalDateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    1.30 June 2018Kazan Arena, Kazan, Russia9 Argentina2–24–32018 FIFA World Cup

    Honours

    VfB Stuttgart

    Bayern Munich

    France

    Individual

    Orders

    • Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur: 2018[1]

    References
    1. "Décret du 31 décembre 2018 portant promotion et nomination" [Decree of 31 December 2018 on promotion and appointment]. Journal Officiel de la République Française (in French). 2019 (0001). 1 January 2019. PRER1835394D. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
    2. "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of players: France" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 11. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
    3. "Benjamin Pavard: 10 things on VfB Stuttgart's French World Cup winner". Bundesliga. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
    4. "Nantes vs. Lille – 31 January 2015 – Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
    5. "VfB sign Benjamin Pavard". VfB Stuttgart. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
    6. "Mit dieser Startelf spielt der VfB". Stuttgarter Zeitung (in German). 3 October 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    7. "Hier finden Sie alle Informationen zum achten Spieltag". Stuttgarter Nachrichten (in German). 3 October 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    8. "VfB Stuttgart and France defender Benjamin Pavard: The next Lilian Thuram?". Bundesliga. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    9. "Stuttgart wins German 2nd division to return to Bundesliga". ABS-CBN Sports. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    10. "Leckie double helps Hertha beat Stuttgart". Bundesliga. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    11. Tillenburg, Robin (29 October 2017). "Stuttgart siegt in Überzahl gegen Freiburg". Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    12. "VfB extend contract with Benjamin Pavard". VfB Stuttgart. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
    13. "Union Berlin hold on against VfB Stuttgart to earn historic promotion". Bundesliga. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
    14. "FC Bayern sign world champion Benjamin Pavard". FCBayern.com. FC Bayern Munich. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
    15. "Off-colour Red fall to ruthless Dortmund". fcbayern.com. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
    16. "Bayern Munich 6–1 Mainz". BBC Sport. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
    17. "Benjamin who? Pavard is surprise inclusion in France squad". Fox Sports. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
    18. Pritchard, Dafydd (10 November 2017). "France 2–0 Wales". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    19. "World Cup 2018: Anthony Martial and Alexandre Lacazette left out of France squad". BBC Sport. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    20. "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ - Matches - France - Australia". FIFA.com. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    21. "French player rips a screamer vs. Argentina for his first international goal and one of the wildest shots of the World Cup". Business Insider. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    22. "Pavard's stunner voted Hyundai Goal of the Tournament". FIFA. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
    23. "FIFA Puskas Award 2018 - THE NOMINEES". FIFA.com. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
    24. "Benjamin Pavard, like Lilian Thuram, scores at World Cup". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    25. "Benjamin Pavard Player Profile - ESPN FC". www.espnfc.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
    26. "Benjamin Pavard". soccerway.com. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
    27. "Pavard, Benjamin". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
    28. "Bayern Munich secure eighth successive Bundesliga title with win at Werder Bremen". bundesliga.com. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
    29. McNulty, Phil (15 July 2018). "France 4–2 Croatia". BBC. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
    30. "Pavard's stunner voted Hyundai Goal of the Tournament". FIFA. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
    31. "World 11: The Reserve Team for 2017–18". FIFPro.org. 24 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
    32. "Champions League breakthrough team of 2019". UEFA.com. UEFA.com Reporters & Editors. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
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