Alfonso AREOLA
Born February 27, 1993 in Paris – 29 years old – 1m95, 94kg – right handed
Goalkeeper – 5 selections
Path : RC Lens (2013-2014), SC Bastia (2014-2015), Villarreal (2015-2016), Paris SG (2013 and 2016-2019), Real Madrid (2019-2020), Fulham (2020-2021), West Ham (from 2021)
Results: Ligue 1 (2013, 2018, 2019, 2020), Coupe de France (2017), Champions Trophy (2017, 2019), La Liga (2020), World Cup (2018)
He won the 2018 World Cup without counting any selections. And that was a good summary of a career that continues to remain atypical: good enough to be called up to the Blues or to evolve into a big club, but not good enough to establish himself as number one.
Trained at PSG, he climbed all levels there until discovering the professional group in 2012-2103, as fourth goalkeeper. But with his club of the heart, nothing will come easy. Recognized potential, especially in France’s youth academy with a U20 world champion title in 2013, he went on loan to Lens, Ligue 2, Bastia, Ligue 1, and Villareal, La Liga and on the European scene.
Upon his return to PSG, in 2016, the Parisian Titi was then put into competition with Kevin Trapp, then Gianluigi Buffon, but failed to establish himself in the long run… before a new exile at Real Madrid, still on loan, where a substitute role awaits him (nine games played). Despite the good qualities of his line, the goalkeeper has not managed to pass the last level that would make him indisputable.
Horizon blocked in the capital, he discovered the Premier League in 2020, at Fulham, before continuing a second season at West Ham. But this time, his loan comes with a mandatory purchase option. At the Hammers, a Serie B club in England, he still competes today with Lukasz Fabianski: in the Poles the league matches, in France the cup matches.
This tortuous path has not helped him improve his status in the French team where he remains the third goalkeeper, behind the indestructible Hugo Lloris and Mike Maignan or Steve Mandanda. In Qatar, his role will be reduced, a priori, to facing the French forwards in training. Always better than nothing.
