Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel

Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel is a Belgian defensive midfielder whose right-footed game combines positional discipline with calm distribution. Born in Liège in 1989, Witsel developed at Standard Liège, making his senior breakthrough there and winning the Belgian Golden Shoe in 2008. He moved to Benfica in 2011, before joining Zenit in 2012, where he established himself in European football and won the Russian Premier League. After five seasons in Russia, Witsel returned to Europe with Borussia Dortmund in 2018. At Dortmund, he operated as a deep-lying midfielder and won the DFB-Pokal in 2021. He joined Atlético Madrid in 2022, where his responsibilities increasingly included covering central defensive areas. Witsel also became an established Belgium international and helped the national team finish third at the 2018 World Cup.