Jules Olivier Koundé

Jules Olivier Koundé is a French centre-back born in Paris on 12 November 1998. He developed in the Gironde region, joining Bordeaux’s academy at 14 after beginning with local club Fraternelle de Landiras. Koundé made his Bordeaux first-team debut in January 2018 and established himself as a Ligue 1 regular, contributing composed distribution from defence. In 2019, he moved to Sevilla, where he developed into a prominent defender and helped the club win the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League. Barcelona signed Koundé in 2022, and he has since combined centre-back duties with an increasingly important role at right-back. His positioning, recovery speed, one-on-one defending and ability to progress the ball have made that versatility a defining feature of his game. Koundé also represents France, winning the 2021 UEFA Nations League and starting the 2022 World Cup final, while remaining part of Barcelona’s current squad.