Mathys Henri Tel (born 27 April 2005) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.[4] Known for his pace, finishing, and creative dribbling ability, Tel has drawn comparisons to his French compatriots Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema.[5][6][7]

Mathys Tel
Personal information
Full name Mathys Henri Tel[1]
Date of birth (2005-04-27) 27 April 2005 (age 19)[2]
Place of birth Sarcelles, France
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3][1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Bayern Munich
Number 39
Youth career
2012–2016 JS Villiers-le-Bel
2016–2017 Paris FC
2017–2019 AS Jeunesse Aubervilliers
2019–2020 Montrouge FC 92
2020–2022 Rennes
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Rennes B 6 (6)
2021–2022 Rennes 7 (0)
2022– Bayern Munich 59 (12)
International career
2022 France U17 9 (5)
2021–2023 France U18 11 (8)
2022–2024 France U19 12 (7)
2023– France U21 8 (3)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Winner 2022 Israel
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:21, 20 December 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Club career

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Rennes

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A former youth academy player of Paris FC, Tel joined Rennes in 2020. He made his professional debut on 15 August 2021 in a 1–1 league draw against Brest.[8] His debut at 16 years and 110 days made him the youngest player to appear in an official match for Rennes, a record which was previously held by Eduardo Camavinga.[9]

Bayern Munich

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2022–23: Debut season

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On 26 July 2022, Tel signed for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich on a four-year contract.[10] The transfer fee paid to Rennes was of €28.5 million, bonuses included.[11] On 31 August 2022, he scored his first goal in a 5–0 win over Viktoria Köln in the DFB-Pokal, to become the youngest goalscorer for the club in a competitive match, aged 17 years and 126 days.[12] He scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 2–2 draw against Stuttgart on 10 September 2022, to be the youngest scorer for the club in that competition.[13]

2023–24 season

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On 2 September 2023, he scored a late winner in a 2–1 away victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, which ended a five-match winless streak against the latter.[14] On 20 September, he scored his first Champions League goal in the second minute of stoppage time to secure a 4–3 win over Manchester United.[15] On 3 October, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 away victory over Copenhagen in his Champions League second consecutive match of the season.[16] On 6 March 2024, he extended his contract at the club until 2029.[17]

International career

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Tel is a French youth international, notably for the under-18s since September 2021, where he has proven to be a prolific goal scorer.[18]

In May 2022, he was selected for the France under-17 team for the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Israel.[19][20] He established himself as a starter during the competition, serving as captain of the team on three occasions. He stood out by scoring three goals in the group stage: one goal against Poland, and a brace against Bulgaria. France qualified for the final after a penalty shootout against Portugal, with a 2–2 score at the end of regulation time.[21][22] On 1 June 2022, with a 2–1 victory against the Netherlands, Tel won the 2022 Euros with the French under-17 team.[23]

In May 2023, Tel's club Bayern Munich prevented his participation in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup with the France under-20 team.[24] His club also denied him permission to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics on home soil.[25]

Style of play

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Tel started his career as a centre-back and showcased a remarkable versatility early on. Equipped with exceptional technical abilities, game intensity, and agility, Tel has the capability to excel in almost any position on the field. Notably, during his early matches for both Rennes and the national youth teams, he has demonstrated proficiency as a winger, centre-forward, and attacking midfielder.[18][26][27]

Sponsorship

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Tel has been sponsored by Nike since he was 14 years old. His contract requires him to play and practice in Nike apparel (for which he can receive up to 10 000 euros per year). After he stopped wearing Nike gear in the summer of 2023, Tel was ordered to resume using them until mid-2024 due to his contract.[28]

Personal life

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Born in metropolitan France, Tel is a Christian of Guadeloupean descent.[29]

Career statistics

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As of match played 20 December 2024[4]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rennes B 2021–22 Championnat National 3 6 6 6 6
Rennes 2021–22 Ligue 1 7 0 1 0 2[b] 0 10 0
Bayern Munich 2022–23 Bundesliga 22 5 1 1 5[c] 0 0 0 28 6
2023–24 Bundesliga 30 7 2 1 8[c] 2 1[d] 0 41 10
2024–25 Bundesliga 7 0 3 0 2[c] 0 0 0 12 0
Total 59 12 6 2 15 2 1 0 81 16
Career total 74 18 7 2 17 2 1 0 97 22
  1. ^ Includes Coupe de France, DFB-Pokal
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  3. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  4. ^ Appearance in DFL-Supercup

Honours

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Bayern Munich

France U17

References

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  1. ^ a b "Mathys Henri Tel | FC Bayern München | Player Profile | Bundesliga". Bundesliga. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Mathys Tel: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Mathys Tel". Bayern Munich. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b Mathys Tel at Soccerway
  5. ^ "Mathys Tel: Bayern Munich's youngest ever goalscorer and MD6's Man of the Matchday". Bundesliga. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Bayern Munich Sign 'Mini-Mbappe' Mathys Tel, See Bright Future With the Player | ⚽ LatestLY". LatestLY. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  7. ^ "One Step Below Mbappe" - How Good is Bayern Target Mathys Tel? | Scouting Expert talks Mathys Tel, retrieved 19 February 2023
  8. ^ "Brest vs. Rennes – 15 August 2021". Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Mathys Tel, entré à Brest, bat le record de précocité d'Eduardo Camavinga avec le Stade Rennais". 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  10. ^ "FC Bayern sign Mathys Tel". Bayern Munich. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. ^ "🚨 Rennes : Mathys Tel s'engage au Bayern Munich ! (officiel)". www.onzemondial.com. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Bayern-Youngster schreibt Geschichte". sport1.de (in German). 31 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Tel schreibt Doppelt FCB-Geschichte". sport1.de (in German). 10 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Mathys Tels completes Bayern Munich comeback win in Gladbach". Bundesliga. 2 September 2023.
  15. ^ Dawkes, Phil (20 September 2023). "Bayern Munich 4–3 Manchester United: Harry Kane on target as Red Devils poor form continues". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Bayern beats Copenhagen 2-1 in the Champions League to extend its winning run". AP News. 3 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Mathys Tel signs extension at Bayern until 2029". FC Bayern Munich. 6 March 2024.
  18. ^ a b Denis, Sebastien (10 February 2022). "Mathys Tel, le nouveau phénomène du Stade Rennais et du football français". Foot Mercato (in French). Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Les vingt joueurs choisis pour l'Euro". French Football Federation (in Dutch). 30 April 2022. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  20. ^ "FFF/Les 29 joueurs convoqués en équipe de France U17 avec Mathys TEL vainqueur du Paname Best Player Génération 2005…". Panamefoot (in French). 11 January 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  21. ^ Guisnel, Kevin (29 May 2022). "Euro U17. La France se qualifie pour la finale en battant le Portugal aux tirs au but". Ouest-France (in French). Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  22. ^ Monegier, Tom (29 May 2022). "Euro U17 : la France domine le Portugal aux tirs au but et accède à la finale !". Foot Mercato (in French). Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  23. ^ a b "La France remporte l'Euro des moins de 17 ans contre les Pays-Bas". L'Équipe (in French). 1 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  24. ^ "Mathys Tel (Bayern) et Elye Wahi (Montpellier) ne seront pas non plus libérés pour la Coupe du monde U20". L'Équipe (in French). 9 May 2023. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  25. ^ "JO : LA PRÉ-LISTE ACTUALISÉE" [Olympic Games: The preliminary list updated] (in French). French Football Federation. 11 June 2024.
  26. ^ "Mathys Tel: Bayern Munich's youngest ever goalscorer and MD6's Man of the Matchday". Bundesliga. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  27. ^ Torres, Carmen (13 September 2022). "Mathys Tel: Bayern Munich's wonderkid who wants to make fans forget about Lewandowski". MARCA. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  28. ^ "Bayern-speler dient weer Nike-merkproducten te dragen. IEPT20231222, Rb Amsterdam, Nike Retail v Mathys Tel". Boek9.nl (in Dutch). 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  29. ^ "Football : Mathys Tel, le joyau antillais au Bayern Munich". Outre-mer la 1ère (in French). 25 July 2022.
  30. ^ "Dortmund draw gifts Bayern title on thrilling final day". BBC Sport. 27 May 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  31. ^ "Final: France 2–1 Netherlands: Line-ups". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
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