Alphonse Francis Areola

Alphonse Francis Areola is a French goalkeeper born in Paris on 27 February 1993. He developed in Paris Saint-Germain’s academy after switching from left-back to goalkeeping, while also training at Clairefontaine. A 2013–14 loan at Lens brought promotion to Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 Goalkeeper of the Year recognition. At Bastia, he reached the Coupe de la Ligue final, then joined Villarreal for 2015–16, keeping a club-record 620 minutes without conceding. After returning to Paris Saint-Germain, Areola later represented Real Madrid and Fulham on loan. For France, he won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, saving two penalties in the final, and was part of the 2018 senior World Cup-winning squad. Now with West Ham, he started the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final, helping the club lift the trophy, while his reflexes, cross-claiming and proactive sweeping remain central to his goalkeeping.