Raphaël Varane

Raphaël Xavier Varane is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Spanish club Real Madrid and the France national team.

He previously played for French club Lens and, ahead of the 2010–11 season, began training with the senior team and appeared on the bench in several league matches. On 7 November 2010, Varane made his professional debut in a league match against Montpellier. After one season with the French club, as a professional footballer, Varane joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2011. Since joining the Spanish giants he has made over 200 appearances for the club and has won 15 major honours including: two La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. At only 24 years of age, Varane won his third UEFA Champions League trophy making him the youngest defender ever to have won three Champions League trophies since Paolo Maldini who was 26 when he won his third Champions League title.

Varane was a France youth international, having earned caps at under-18, under-20 and under-21 level. He made his full international debut in March 2013 and represented the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. After an admirable performance during the 2014 FIFA World Cup he was nominated for the Best Young Player award. He won the 2018 FIFA World Cup in which he played every minute of every game.

Varane has been described by Lens youth coach Eric Assadourian as a "truly first class player" who is "comfortable on both the tactical and technical level". Many ex players and current football managers, such as Fernando Hierro and José Mourinho, consider Varane to be one of the best defenders in world football.