Désiré Doué

Désiré Doué is the younger brother of professional soccer player Guéla Doué. Their father is Ivorian and their mother is French. Doué also has professional footballers among his cousins, including Yann Gboho, Marc-Olivier Doué, and Eddy Doué, while his uncle and godfather Noumandiez Doué is a former Ivorian international referee.

Doué is Christian and has identified Neymar and Lionel Messi as footballing idols. His family connections to football have included both close relatives and international associations, with Guéla representing Côte d'Ivoire while Désiré represents France.

Doué joined the Stade rennais academy at five or six years old and completed his youth development there. He signed his first professional contract in April 2022 and made his senior debut on 7 August 2022 against FC Lorient. He scored his first professional goal against Brest later that month.

In October 2022, Doué scored an 89th-minute winner against Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Europa League. The goal made him the youngest French scorer in European club competitions. He spent two Ligue 1 seasons with Rennes before leaving the club for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2024.

Doué joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 and gradually became an important attacking player under Luis Enrique. During his first season, he scored his first Champions League goal against Red Bull Salzburg, scored the decisive penalty in the shootout that eliminated Liverpool, and was named Ligue 1 Player of the Month for March 2025.

His defining performance came in the 2025 Champions League final against Inter Milan. Doué scored twice and assisted Achraf Hakimi in a 5-0 victory, earning the Player of the Match award as PSG won the competition for the first time. He became the first teenager to score twice in a Champions League final and was named the competition's Young Player of the Season.

Doué also helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France in 2025, followed by the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup. He won the Golden Boy award in 2025 and was named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. In 2026, he helped PSG win a second consecutive Champions League title and a second consecutive Ligue 1 young-player award. He scored the winning goal against Aston Villa in the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final.

Doué represented France at youth level and was part of the under-17 team that won the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He later joined the France under-21 side and the Olympic team managed by Thierry Henry. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, he scored against New Zealand and appeared in the final, where France lost to Spain in extra time and won the silver medal.

He received his first senior France call-up in March 2025 and made his debut against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League. Doué scored his first two senior international goals in a 3-1 friendly victory over Colombia in March 2026. He was selected for France's 2026 World Cup squad and scored his first World Cup goal against Norway in the group stage.

Doué is an attacking midfielder who can also play on either wing or in a deeper midfield role. His game is built around close control, progressive ball carrying, acceleration, dribbling, passing, and shooting. He also contributes to pressing and defensive work, giving him value in several tactical systems.

His individual honours include two Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year awards, the 2025 Golden Boy, the 2024-25 Champions League Young Player of the Season award, and the FIFA Club World Cup Best Young Player award. He was also named a knight of France's National Order of Merit in 2024.