_16.jpg) Theate withRennes in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Arthur Nicolas R. Theate[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2000-05-25)25 May 2000 (age 25) | ||
| Place of birth | Liège, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back,left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Eintracht Frankfurt | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2009 | Alliance Melen-Micheroux | ||
| 2009–2011 | Eupen | ||
| 2011–2014 | Genk | ||
| 2014–2017 | Standard Liège | ||
| 2017–2019 | Genk | ||
| 2019–2020 | Standard Liège | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | Oostende | 38 | (5) |
| 2021–2022 | →Bologna (loan) | 31 | (2) |
| 2022–2025 | Rennes | 63 | (6) |
| 2024–2025 | →Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2025– | Eintracht Frankfurt | 24 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015 | Belgium U15 | 4 | (0) |
| 2015 | Belgium U16 | 1 | (0) |
| 2017 | Belgium U17 | 1 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Belgium U18 | 7 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Belgium U19 | 6 | (0) |
| 2021 | Belgium U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2021– | Belgium | 31 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:30, 22 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 | |||
Arthur Nicolas R. Theate (born 25 May 2000) is a Belgian professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back orleft-back forBundesliga clubEintracht Frankfurt and theBelgium national team.
Theate played youth football for Alliance Melen-Micheroux,Eupen,Genk andStandard Liège.[3] Until reaching the under-14 level, he played as astriker at Eupen. At Genk, he was repositioned as aleft winger after the arrival of a new player, after which he moved to the position ofleft-back and thencentre-back.[4] During his time at the Genk youth academy, his future at times looked uncertain, and he was described as being physically tough, but not always refined.[5]
After three years playing for the Genk youth teams, he joined Standard Liège where he also struggled with regularmidfielderDamjan Pavlović being played as left-back in the youth team to replace Theate.[5] He soon returned to Genk, where he trained with the first team during the2019–20 pre-season under head coachFelice Mazzu. After this, however, Theate failed to make the cut and was demoted to the reserves. He returned to Standard in 2019, but barely a year after his return, Standard let him go again.[5]
In the summer of 2020, Theate saw no prospects of succeeding at Standard Liège, after which he was offered a trial withBelgian First Division A clubOostende. After a week of practicing with the first team, he was able to convince German coachAlexander Blessin of his abilities. Blessin mainly noticed his explosiveness and power, ideal for his high five-man backline andGegenpressing tactics. Previously, Theate had not been able to convinceLommel orLierse Kempenzonen during trials.[5]
In July 2020, he signed a three-year contract with an option with Oostende. Theate made his debut on 10 August 2020 in the Belgian First Division A againstBeerschot, featuring in starting line-up.[6] Together withAnton Tanghe he grew into the permanent centre-back duo in the Oostende defence. On 4 October 2020, he scored his first professional goal, heading home a cross againstRoyal Excel Mouscron putting his team in a good position ahead of their 3–0 victory.[7][8]
During the winter transfer period of the 2020–21 season, Oostende received an offer for Theate of €5 million from ItalianSerie A clubBologna, but the Belgian coastal club refused.[9] In his first season at Oostende, he managed to qualify for European play-offs, but eventually missed out. He missed only one game due to suspension and four matches due to injury, playing the entirety of the other 27 matches.
In the 2021–22 season, Theate did not make an appearance during the first two matchdays pending a possible transfer.[10] On the third matchday of the season, he returned to the starting line-up againstGent.[11] On 22 August 2021, he picked up a red card in his last game for Oostende against his former club Standard.[12] Theate played a total of 40 official matches for Oostende, in which he scored five goals.[13]
On 26 August 2021, Theate signed withSerie A clubBologna on initial season-long loan, with a subsequent obligation to buy.[14]
On 18 September 2021, Theate made his Bologna debut against defending championsInter Milan on the fourth matchday of the season. Theate came on as a substitute in the 74th minute behind 6–0 and headed in the 6–1 final score twelve minutes later.[15] Bologna had started the season with a four-man defense, but after conceding twelve goals in three games, coachSiniša Mihajlović started the game againstLazio on 3 October with five at the back with Theate as left-sided centre-back. This was also his first start for the club. Theate contributed with an assist and a goal in the 3–0 win.[16]
Theate impressed during his season at Bologna, making 31 league appearances in which he scored twice and provided one assist.[17]
On 29 July 2022, Theate joinedLigue 1 clubRennes on a four-year deal,[18] for a reported fee of €20 million, making him the most expensive Belgian defender ever, aboveThomas Vermaelen's 2014 move fromArsenal toBarcelona for €19 million.[19] Theate was to succeedNayef Aguerd who had left forWest Ham United.[20]
On the first matchday of the2022–23 Ligue 1 season, Theate made his Rennes debut in the starting lineup againstLorient. He scored an own goal in the 65th minute, which proved to be decisive in the 1–0 loss.[21] On 21 August, Theate scored his first goal for the club againstAjaccio, heading home the 2–1 winner.[22] He also scored in his European debut with a strike from distance againstAEK Larnaca in theUEFA Europa League group stage, as Rennes won the game 2–1.[23] In Rennes' 1–0 league win over league leadersParis Saint-Germain, Theate was praised for shutting downLionel Messi in a strong performance.[24][25]
On 14 September 2023, Theate signed a new contract with Rennes until June 2027.[26]
On 18 August 2024, Theate joinedBundesliga clubEintracht Frankfurt on loan for the 2024–25 season, with the German club having an option to buy after the season.[27] On 2 February 2025 Eintracht signed Theate permanently.[28]
Theate received his first call-up to thesenior Belgium squad for the2021 UEFA Nations League Finals.[29] He made his debut on 16 November 2021 in aWorld Cup qualifier againstWales.[30]
He was selected for national coachRoberto Martínez's squad ahead of the2022 FIFA World Cup,[31] but failed to make an appearance as theRed Devils were knocked out of the tournament at the group stages for the first time since1998.[32]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| KV Oostende | 2020–21 | Belgian Pro League | 35 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 37 | 5 | |
| 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 38 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 40 | 5 | |||
| Bologna (loan) | 2021–22 | Serie A | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 31 | 2 | |
| Rennes | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5[b] | 1 | 42 | 5 |
| 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 8[b] | 0 | 40 | 3 | |
| Total | 63 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 81 | 8 | ||
| Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 13 | 0 | — | 3[b] | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | Bundesliga | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5[c] | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| Total | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 174 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 211 | 16 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | |
| Total | 31 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 2025 | Rheinpark Stadion,Vaduz, Liechtenstein | 26 |  Liechtenstein | 3–0 | 6–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Belgium squads | |||||||
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