 Lacazette withLyon in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexandre Armand Lacazette | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1991-05-28)28 May 1991 (age 34) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lyon, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Neom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 91 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2003 | ELCS Lyon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2008 | Lyon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Lyon B | 53 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2017 | Lyon | 203 | (100) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2022 | Arsenal | 158 | (54) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | Lyon | 94 | (61) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Neom | 8 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | France U16 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | France U17 | 11 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | France U18 | 10 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | France U19 | 10 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | France U20 | 12 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | France U21 | 11 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | France | 16 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | France Olympic | 8 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:05, 8 November 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alexandre Armand Lacazette (French pronunciation:[alɛksɑ̃dʁ(ə)lakazɛt]; born 28 May 1991) is a French professionalfootballer who plays as aforward forSaudi Pro League clubNeom.[2] He plays mainly as astriker, but has also been deployed as asecond striker andwide forward.[3]
Lacazette began his senior career with hometown club Lyon in 2010, at age 19. Initially awide forward, he was converted into a striker, and finished asLigue 1 top goalscorer and wonLigue 1 Player of the Year in the2014–15 season. In 2017, Lacazette was the subject of a then-clubrecord association football transfer when he signed forArsenal in atransfer worth up to £46.5 million (€53 million),[4] with whom he won theFA Cup in 2020 and reached the2019 UEFA Europa League final. In 2022, Lacazette returned to Lyon on a free transfer, and became the club's second-highestall-time top goalscorer.
Lacazette made his debut for thesenior side of the France national team in 2013, after he represented his nation across all youth levels. Lacazette was a key contributor in France's victory in the2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where he scored the match-winning goal in the final against Spain.[5] He recorded three goals in sixteen appearances.
Alexandre Armand Lacazette[6] was born on 28 May 1991[7] inLyon,[8] to a family ofGuadeloupean origin.[9]
He was the youngest of four boys. One of his brothers, Benoît, played football in theSwiss second division andFrench fourth division. His cousin,Romuald, is also a footballer.[10]
Upon his arrival at the club, Lacazette began training at theCentre Tola Vologe, the club's training centre. While undergoing training, he was likened to former Lyon strikerSonny Anderson by many coaches, including the player himself.[11] As a youth player, Lacazette played in the club's under-18 team that finished in third place in theChampionnat National des moins de 18 ans during the 2007–08 season. Thefollowing season, he began making appearances for the club'sChampionnat de France Amateur (CFA) reserve team, scoring five goals in 19 CFA matches.[12] In the2009–10 season, Lacazette scored 12 goals in 22 appearances in the CFA.[12]
During the second half of the2009–10 Ligue 1 season, he was called up to the first team by managerClaude Puel and appeared on the bench in the team's 1–0 victory overMontpellier on 2 May 2010.[13] Three days later, Lacazette made his first team debut in a Ligue 1 home match againstAuxerre.[14] On 3 July 2010, Lacazette signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal. Due to still having another year left on hisaspirant (youth) contract, the contract would start on 1 July 2011.[15]
Lacazette's successful campaign in the2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship saw the player draw interest from Italian clubRoma.[16] He also drew praise from the media, alongside international teammatesYannis Tafer andClément Grenier, for his dedication to the club after playing in the pre-season2010 Emirates Cup match a 2-2 draw againstCeltic, hours after playing in the final of the2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[17] Lacazette began the2010–11 season training full-time with the first team. He scored six goals in 122010–11 CFA matches for the club's reserve team.[12] He scored his first competitive goal for the first team on 30 October in a Ligue 1 home match againstSochaux.[18] His goal in the 69th minute gave Lyon a 2–1 lead, which would be the final score.[19] Three days later, Lacazette made hisEuropean club competition debut against the Portuguese clubBenfica in a2010–11 UEFA Champions League Group B away match, appearing as a substitute in the second half with Lyon trailing 4–0. Minutes after coming onto the pitch, heassisted Lyon's opening goal, scored byYoann Gourcuff in the 75th minute. He also assisted Lyon's second goal, scored byBafétimbi Gomis in the 85th minute.[18] Lyon, however, were unable to complete the comeback, losing 4–3.[20] On 7 December, Lacazette scored the first European club competition goal of his career in Lyon's final Group B match, the 88th-minute equaliser in the 2–2 home draw against Israeli clubHapoel Tel Aviv.[citation needed]
Lacazette scored Lyon's only goal in the2014 Coupe de la Ligue final against Paris Saint-Germain; however his side lost 2–1.[21]
In September 2014, Lacazette signed a two-year extension to his contract, tying him to the club until 2018.[22] He scored his first hat-trick on 5 October 2014, scoring all the goals in a 3–0 Ligue 1 home win overLille.[23] On 26 April 2015, Lacazette broke the Lyon record forLigue 1 or Division 1 goals scored in a single season with his 26th in a Ligue 1 4–2 away victory overReims;André Guy had scored a total of 25 Division 1 goals in the1968–69 season.[24][25] He finished the2014–15 Ligue 1 season as the top scorer in Ligue 1, scoring a total of 27 goals.[26] Lacazette completed an outstanding season by being votedLigue 1 Player of the Year for the 2014–15 season.[27]
Amid transfer speculation from a number ofPremier League clubs such asArsenal following his break-out season, on 8 August 2015, Lacazette signed a new deal, extending his contract with Lyon until 2019.[28] On 8 November 2015, he scored all of the goals in a 3–0 Ligue 1 home win overlocal arch-rivalsSaint-Étienne.[29] On 9 January 2016, he scored the first goal at the newly openedParc Olympique Lyonnais, in a 4–1 win overTroyes in a Ligue 1 match.[30]
On 29 October 2016, Lacazette scored two goals in Lyon's 2–1 away win againstToulouse in Ligue 1 to register his 100th and 101st goals in all competitions for Lyon, overtakingJuninho Pernambucano (who scored 100 goals in 350 competitive matches for Lyon) to become the fourth-most prolific scorer in Lyon's history.[31] On 22 November, he scored the only goal by slotting homeRafael's rolled cross from close range in the 72nd minute of the2016–17 UEFA Champions League group stage Group H matchday 5 1–0 away win againstDinamo Zagreb to keep alive Lyon's hopes of progressing to the knockout phase of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League.[32]
In early February 2017, Lacazette reportedly revealed to television show Canal Football Club his intention to leave Olympique Lyonnais in the summer of 2017. On 10 February,Jean-Michel Aulas, the club's president, denied that Lacazette had asked to leave that summer and said that Lacazette's comments were taken out of context by the media.[33]
In May 2017, it was reported that a verbal arrangement had been reached for Lacazette to joinAtlético Madrid in the summer of 2017, but that fell through on 1 June 2017, after theCourt of Arbitration for Sport upheld Atlético's ban on registering players for twotransfer windows (1 January – 2 February 2017 and 1 June – 31 August 2017) that was imposed in July 2016 byFIFA on the club for breachingFIFA rules over the signing of minors.[34][35][36]
On 5 July 2017, Lacazette signed a reported five-year deal for Premier League club Arsenal for a club record fee;[4][37] Lyon disclosed that the fee was an initial €53 million (£46.5 million) plus up to €7 million (£6.1 million) in potential bonuses.[37][38] The fee was the largest ever received by Lyon from the sale of a player, beating the €41.5 million (£37.7 million) record set byCorentin Tolisso's transfer toBayern Munich three weeks earlier.[38][39] The transfer fee also surpassed the previous Arsenal record €50 million (£42.5 million) that Arsenal paidReal Madrid forMesut Özil in 2013.[37] Lacazette was given the number 9 jersey.[40]
On 6 August 2017, Lacazette made his first appearance for Arsenal in the2017 FA Community Shield againstChelsea. Despite hitting the post midway through the first half, Arsenal eventually won 4–1 on penalties after the game ended 1–1 at full time. This win constituted his first trophy win at Arsenal.[41] On 11 August, Lacazette made his Premier League debut againstLeicester City and scored after 94 seconds to give Arsenal a 1–0 lead in an eventual 4–3 win.[42] Lacazette also managed to score in both of Arsenal's next home games, scoring Arsenal's second in a 3–0 win overBournemouth, before grabbing a brace for the club in a 2–0 win overWest Bromwich Albion.[43] With his goals againstWest Brom, Lacazette became the first Arsenal player to score in his first three home league appearances for the club sinceBrian Marwood in September 1988.[44]
Lacazette scored his first away goal for Arsenal, in the team's 5–2 win against Everton at Goodison Park, latching onto a pass fromMesut Özil, to score Arsenal's third.[45] Lacazette claimed his sixth goal of the season in Arsenal's 3–1 away defeat toManchester City after latching onto anAaron Ramsey pass, despite not starting the game.[46] In November, Lacazette scored Arsenal's opening goal in a 5–0 rout ofHuddersfield Town and in December, he scored Arsenal's only goal in a 3–1 home defeat toManchester United.[47][48]
Following a protracted period on the sidelines through injury, Lacazette returned to the Arsenal squad in the 3–0 home win overStoke City in March, where he replacedDanny Welbeck in the 61st minute and scored the Gunners' third goal of the game, after new signing and designated penalty-takerPierre-Emerick Aubameyang, allowed Lacazette to take the penalty.[49] Lacazette would then score twice on his Europa League debut for Arsenal, in a 4–1 win againstCSKA Moscow, marking his first goal in European competition for the club.[50] Lacazette then registered his third goal in European football for Arsenal, by scoring in the Europa League semi-final 1–1 draw with Atlético Madrid. The goal was Lacazette's seventh goal in seven games for the club since returning from injury.[51] Lacazette scored inArsène Wenger's final home match, a 5–0 rout ofBurnley, the team's second goal and his fourteenth league goal of the season, Lacazette also picked up an assist for the team's opening goal as well.[52]
After the departure of manager Arsène Wenger, Lacazette found himself dropped to the bench under new managerUnai Emery, making substitute appearances againstManchester City,Chelsea andWest Ham United.[53][54][55] Lacazette made his first start under Emery in Arsenal's 3–2 away win overCardiff City on 2 September, where he registered an assist and scored his first goal of the season.[56] On 1 April 2019, Lacazette scored Arsenal's second goal in a 2–0 win overNewcastle United, which sent Arsenal into third place and two points clear of rivalsTottenham Hotspur, Chelsea andManchester United. The goal marked Lacazette's thirteenth goal of the season in the Premier League.[57] On 3 May 2019, Lacazette was voted byArsenal supporters as the club's player of the season.[58]
Lacazette scored his first goal of the 2019–20 season in Arsenal's home opener, a 2–1 victory againstBurnley on 17 August 2019.[59] On 1 August 2020, Lacazette was selected to start in the2020 FA Cup final against Chelsea, as Arsenal won their 14th FA Cup.[60]
Lacazette scored Arsenal's first league goal of the 2020–21 season in a 3–0 victory againstFulham on 12 September 2020.[61] He scored three goals in three league starts in September and was voted as the runner up of the Player of the Month on Arsenal official website.[62][63] On 14 March 2021, Lacazette scored the winning goal in a 2–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur inNorth London derby, becoming the first Arsenal player to score in three consecutive home league games against their North London rival since 2008.[64] On 11 April, he scored his 50th Premier League goal in a 3–0 win overSheffield United.[65] With 13 goals, he finished the season as Arsenal's highest goalscorer in the Premier League.[66]
On 3 June 2022, Arsenal announced that Lacazette would leave the club following the expiration of his contract on 30 June.[67]
On 9 June 2022, Lacazette returned to Lyon, signing a three-year contract with the club.[68] He scored his first goal of his second stint with the club from the penalty spot againstAjaccio in a 2–1 home win on 5 August 2022.[69] On 10 March 2023, Lacazette scored a late-match brace in a 3–3 draw against Lille, becoming the joint second-highest goalscorer in Lyon's history, tied withBernard Lacombe at 149 goals.[70] Six days later, he netted in a 1–1 draw againstNantes, his 150th goal with the club to make him the sole second-highest scorer in club history, behindFleury Di Nallo with 222 goals.[71] On 7 May, he scored four goals in a 5–4 win againstMontpellier including game-winning last minute penalty, three of his goals were assisted by teammateBradley Barcola.[72]
Lacazette played his final game for Lyon on 17 May 2025 where he scored a brace in a 2–0 victory overAngers, scoring both his 200th and 201st goals for the club.[73]
Lacazette joinedSaudi Pro League clubNeom SC on a two-year deal on 1 July 2025.[2] Later that year, on 14 September, he netted his first goals by netting a brace in a 2–1 away win overDamac.[74]
Lacazette has featured for all ofFrance's national youth teams beginning with theunder-16 team making his debut in the team's 2–0 victory overCameroon on 3 April 2007 at theMontaigu Tournament.[75] He finished the campaign with four appearances in the tournament. With theunder-17 team, Lacazette was a regular and contributed to the team's qualification for the2008 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. In the competition, he scored the game-winning goal in the team's 2–1 win over theRepublic of Ireland in the group stage.[76][77] France later reached the final where the team was defeated 4–0 bySpain.[78][79]
With theunder-18 team, Lacazette made his debut in the team's match againstUkraine.[80] He featured in ten of the eleven matches the team contested scoring one goal, which came againstDenmark in the Tournoi de Limoges.[81] Forunder-19 duty, Lacazette was again called upon by coachFrancis Smerecki, making his first appearance for the team in a 4–2 defeat againstNetherlands on 9 November 2009.[82] He scored his first goal for the team on 4 March 2010 in a 2–1 win againstUkraine.[83] On 7 June 2010, Lacazette was named to coach Smerecki's 18-man squad to participate in the2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. In the tournament, he scored two goals in the team's 5–0 Group A victory overAustria.[84] France later reached the final where they facedSpain, which was essentially composed of the same players that defeated France in the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Championship final. In the match, France came back from a goal down to win 2–1 with Lacazette netting the game-winning goal in the 85th minute after heading in a cross fromGaël Kakuta. France thus secured their second UEFA European Under-19 championship title.[85]
Due to France's victory at the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 championship, the nation qualified for the2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. This resulted in Lacazette making appearances for theunder-20 team. He made his under-20 team debut on 7 October 2010 in afriendly match againstPortugal. The match ended 3–3 with Lacazette scoring the opening goal of the match.[86] Three days later, Lacazette scored a double in the team's 5–0 thrashing of theJuventus Primavera team.[87] The match was unofficial and was contested as part of the celebration of theTreaty of Turin. On 9 February 2011, Lacazette scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 victory overEngland. In March 2011, Lacazette scored goals in back-to-back matches againstPeru.
On 10 June 2011, he was named to the 21-man squad to participate in the2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup finals. He made his debut in the competition in France's first Group A match on 30 July 2011 against the host nationColombia (France lost the match 4–1), appearing as a substitute.[88] In the team's next Group A match againstSouth Korea, Lacazette appeared as a substitute again and scored the final goal (in second-half injury time) of the match, which France won 3–1.[89] He scored one goal in France's final Group A match, 2–0 win overMali. Lacazette scored twice in the quarterfinal win overNigeria and one goal in the third place match againstMexico. He finished as the tournament's joint top scorer with 5 goals, along withHenrique Almeida andÁlvaro Vázquez.[citation needed]
On 23 May 2013, Lacazette received his first call-up to thesenior squad following the withdrawal ofJérémy Ménez through injury.[5] He made his international debut on 5 June, as a 58th-minute substitute forOlivier Giroud in a 0–1 friendly defeat againstUruguay at theEstadio Centenario in Montevideo.[90] Lacazette scored his first international goal on 29 March 2015, opening a 2–0 friendly win overDenmark at theStade Geoffroy-Guichard inSaint-Étienne. During the match, he was booed by some of the local supporters due totheir rivalry with Lyon.[91] On 14 November 2017, Lacazette netted a brace for France during a friendly away to Germany in an eventual 2–2 draw.[92][93]
On 17 May 2018, he was named on the standby list for the 23-man French squad for the2018 World Cup in Russia.[94][95]
He was named as one of the players to represent France during the2024 Olympics held in Paris and was also designated the team's captain.[96] He had played as one of the permitted overage players in theFrench under-23 team (who represent France in the Olympics), during the lead-up to the tournament against the Dominican Republic in aninternational friendly.[97]
Lacazette previously played as awinger for Lyon, before becoming astriker.[98] As well as goalscoring and finishing ability, characteristics of his game are strength, balance, technique,dribbling, link-up play, and ability with either foot. He is also a hard-working player, who presses the opposition and wins the ball back using his defensive skills and tackling ability.[99][100][101][102] Fellow FrenchmanGérard Houllier said in July 2017 that Lacazette "is a bit like" former Arsenal strikerIan Wright.[103][101]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lyon B | 2008–09[12] | CFA | 19 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 5 | ||||
| 2009–10[12] | 22 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 12 | ||||||
| 2010–11[12] | 12 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 6 | ||||||
| Total | 53 | 23 | — | — | — | — | 53 | 23 | ||||||
| Lyon | 2009–10[104] | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010–11[104] | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 1 | — | 11 | 2 | |||
| 2011–12[104] | 29 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6[c] | 1 | — | 43 | 10 | |||
| 2012–13[104] | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[d] | 1 | 1[e] | 0 | 37 | 4 | ||
| 2013–14[104] | 36 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 12[f] | 2 | — | 54 | 22 | |||
| 2014–15[104] | 33 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4[d] | 1 | — | 40 | 31 | |||
| 2015–16[104] | 34 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[c] | 2 | 1[e] | 0 | 44 | 23 | ||
| 2016–17[104] | 30 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12[g] | 7 | 1[e] | 0 | 45 | 37 | ||
| Total | 203 | 100 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 47 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 275 | 129 | ||
| Arsenal | 2017–18[105] | Premier League | 32 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[d] | 3 | 1[h] | 0 | 39 | 17 |
| 2018–19[106] | 35 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10[d] | 5 | — | 49 | 19 | |||
| 2019–20[107] | 30 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[d] | 2 | — | 39 | 12 | |||
| 2020–21[108] | 31 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8[d] | 3 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 17 | ||
| 2021–22[109] | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 36 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 158 | 54 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 206 | 71 | ||
| Lyon | 2022–23[104] | Ligue 1 | 35 | 27 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | 39 | 31 | |||
| 2023–24[104] | 29 | 19 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | 35 | 22 | |||||
| 2024–25[104] | 30 | 15 | 2 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 4 | — | 42 | 19 | ||||
| Total | 94 | 61 | 12 | 7 | — | 10 | 4 | — | 116 | 72 | ||||
| Lyon total | 297 | 161 | 23 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 57 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 391 | 201 | ||
| Neom | 2025–26[104] | Saudi Pro League | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 5 | |||
| Career total | 516 | 242 | 33 | 15 | 22 | 11 | 84 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 659 | 300 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 2 | |
| Total | 16 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 March 2015 | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France | 6 |  Denmark | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | [111] |
| 2 | 14 November 2017 | RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany | 16 |  Germany | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly | [112] |
| 3 | 2–1 |
Lyon
Arsenal
France U17
France U19
France U23
Individual
Orders
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