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Rayane Messi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rayane Messi
Personal information
Full name Rayane Messi Tanfouri
Date of birth (2007-05-23) 23 May 2007 (age 19)
Place of birth Sèvres, France
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position Left winger
Team information
Current team
 Strasbourg
Youth career
2015–2017 Chaville
2017–2022 Versailles
2022–2024 Dijon
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023–2024 Dijon B 9 (3)
2024 Dijon 4 (1)
2024– Strasbourg B 9 (0)
2024– Strasbourg 0 (0)
2025–2026 → Pau (loan) 14 (2)
2026 → Neom (loan) 13 (1)
International career‡
2022–2023 France U16 8 (2)
2023–2024 France U17 11 (4)
2024– France U19 8 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 May 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 31 March 2026

Rayane Messi Tanfouri (born 23 May 2007) is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.

In 2024, Messi was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2007 worldwide.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Messi was born in Sèvres, Hauts-de-Seine in the Paris suburbs area, to a Cameroonian father of Sudanese descent, Zacharie Messi Tanfouri, and a Tunisian mother. He took his first footballing steps by joining local side FC Chaville in 2015. Alongside football, his father also enrolled him in futsal when he was younger to improve his accuracy in tight spaces and increase his cardio. As a result, Messi displayed technical ease and had above-average physical abilities, which quickly caught the eye of the big teams in the region. As a result, he left Chaville in 2017 and joined FC Versailles.[2][3][4]

In 2020, Messi moved to the Clairefontaine academy, showing impressive technical qualities leading to numerous French clubs attempting to sign him. In 2022, at the age of 14, he chose to join the youth academy of Dijon, signing a three-year contract.[3][4]

Club career

[edit]

Dijon

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Impressing in the youth ranks, Messi was promoted to Dijon's reserves side and made his Championnat National 3 debut in August 2023 at the age of 16. On 5 April 2024, he made his first senior debut with Dijon, coming in as a substitute in the clubs 0–2 defeat against his former team Versailles. At 16 years old, 10 months and 13 days, he became the youngest player to have played for Dijon.[5][6] A week later, he appeared again for Dijon as a substitute and scored the only goal for the match to bring his team a 1–0 victory against Orléans. The goal made him the youngest goalscorer in Dijon's history.[7][8]

Strasbourg

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On 14 August 2024, Messi signed for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg on a three-year deal.[9]

Loan to Pau FC

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In 08 2025, Rayane Messi was loaned for one season to Pau FC from RC Strasbourg.[10] He was assigned the number 7 shirt at the Béarn-based club.[11] The loan followed the departure of Pathé Mboup, who signed for Stade Brestois 29.[12] Rayane Messi made his Ligue 2 debut for Pau FC in September 2025, at a time when the club was unbeaten and co-leading the league. Starting as a centre forward to compensate for the departure of Mboup, he experienced a difficult first outing in a 3–0 home defeat at Nouste Camp to Red Star FC.[13][14]

He retained his place in the starting eleven the following week away to Boulogne-sur-Mer. In a new 4–4–2 attacking system adapted to his technical abilities, he featured up front with Kyliane Dong and Giovani Versini providing width.[15] Pau FC won the match 3–0, a result that kept the club near the top of the table.[16]

International career

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Messi is a youth international for France, having played for the under-16s and under-17s. In March 2024, he scored a brace to help France U17 win 2–1 against England as part of the Euro U17 Elite Round, thus qualify his team to the final tournament.[17][18] Two months after, he was selected in France U17's squad for the Euro U17.[19]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 22 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Dijon B 2023–24 Championnat National 3 92———91
Dijon 2023–24 Championnat National 4100——41
Strasbourg B 2024–25 Championnat National 3 90———90
Strasbourg 2024–25 Ligue 1 0022——22
2026–27 Ligue 1 0000——00
Total 0022——22
Pau (loan) 2025–26 Ligue 2 14200——142
Neom (loan) 2025–26 Saudi Pro League 131———131
Career total 496220000517

Style of play

[edit]

Messi's coach at Versailles, Matthieu Merle, praised him for “his strength, his explosiveness and his ability to make differences in one-on-one situations”.[2][4]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Christenson, Marcus; Bloor, Steven; Blight, Garry (15 October 2024). "Next Generation 2024: 60 of the best young talents in world football". theguardian.com. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  2. 1 2 "" Le joueur le plus talentueux que j'ai eu " : Rayane, l'autre Messi promis à un grand avenir" (in French). Le Parisien. 10 February 2024.
  3. 1 2 "UN MESSI CHEZ LES BLEUS? RAYANE MESSI, LE JEUNE CRACK QUI FLAMBE AVEC L'ÉQUIPE DE FRANCE U17" (in French). RMC Sport. 27 March 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Football. Qui est Rayane Messi, le prodige qui se fait un nom en équipe de France U17 ?" (in French). Ouest France. 27 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "Expatriés : Un Messi tunisien" (in French). La Presse Tunisien. 8 April 2024.
  6. ↑ "Dijon : un record pour Messi" (in French). Foot Mercato. 7 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Dijon : la pépite Rayane Messi entre dans l'histoire" (in French). Foot Mercato. 13 April 2024.
  8. ↑ "Dijon : Rayane Messi entre dans l'histoire du club à 16 ans" (in French). Orange Sports. 13 April 2024.
  9. ↑ "Rayane Messi signe au Racing". Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace - Site officiel (in French). RC Strasbourg Alsace. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  10. ↑ "Un jeune milieu de Strasbourg prêté au Pau FC". La République des Pyrénées (in French). 30 August 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  11. ↑ Mairal, Nicolas (30 August 2025). "Rayane Messi arrive en prêt en provenance de Strasbourg". Sud Ouest. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  12. ↑ Mairal, Nicolas; Lannessans, Georges (31 August 2025). "Pathé Mboup s'est engagé avec Brest, Rayane Messi le remplace". Sud Ouest. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  13. ↑ Mairal, Nicolas (12 September 2025). "Ligue 2 : Soirée cauchemar et première défaite de la saison pour le Pau FC face au Red Star". Sud Ouest (in French). Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  14. ↑ Gradoux, Laurent (12 September 2025). "Foot - Ligue 2 : cueilli à froid d'entrée, le Pau FC a vécu un cauchemar face au Red Star". La République des Pyrénées (in French). Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  15. ↑ Sempé, Christian (21 September 2025). "Foot – Ligue 2 : conjuguant vitesse et justesse, le Pau FC s'est redressé à Boulogne". La République des Pyrénées (in French). Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  16. ↑ Grandcolas, Laurent. "Le Red Star enchaîne et reprend la tête de la Ligue 2, Pau monte sur le podium". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  17. ↑ "DFCO : Rayane Messi encore décisif avec l'Equipe de France U17, bientôt avec les pros en National ?" (in French). France Bleu. 27 March 2024.
  18. ↑ "Messi qualifie la France pour l'Euro U17" (in French). So Foot. 27 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "La liste pour l'Euro U17" (in French). Fédération Française de Football. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
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