Axel Witsel

1.1. Birth and childhood

Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel was born on 12 January 1989, in Liège, Belgium. His father is a former footballer of Martiniquais descent, hailing from the French overseas department of Martinique, while his mother is Belgian. Growing up, Witsel was a boyhood fan of Arsenal, but also expressed an admiration for Manchester United.

1.2. Youth career

Witsel developed his football skills within the youth ranks of his hometown club, Standard Liège. During his formative years, he also represented Belgium at various youth levels. He played one match for the U-15 team in 2004 and two for the U-16 team in 2005. From 2005 to 2006, he earned 19 caps for the U-17 squad, participating in the 2006 UEFA European Under-17 Championship held in Luxembourg. He also featured for the U-18 (5 caps) and U-19 (3 caps) teams in 2006.

His progression continued as he played for the U-21 side from 2007 to 2009, earning 10 caps. In 2007, he was part of the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

2.1. Standard Liège

Witsel made his senior debut for Standard Liège at the age of 17 on 17 September 2006, coming on as a substitute for Steven Defour in the 89th minute of a competitive match against FC Brussels. Eleven days later, he made his European debut, also as a substitute.

During the 2007-08 season, at just 18 years old, Witsel became a pivotal member of the Standard Liège squad that clinched the Belgian Pro League title. He formed a highly talented and youthful midfield alongside fellow Belgian prospects Defour and Marouane Fellaini. For his contributions that season, Witsel was honored with the Belgian Young Footballer of the Year award and the Belgian Golden Shoe in 2008. He also helped the club secure the 2008 Belgian Super Cup. In the following season, Standard Liège achieved a second consecutive Belgian Pro League title, with Witsel scoring the decisive winning goal from a penalty spot in the championship's two-legged playoff.

On 30 August 2009, Witsel was involved in a major controversy during a match against Anderlecht. He broke Marcin Wasilewski's leg by stamping on his ankle with a late tackle. Witsel protested the red card, claiming the incident was an accident without malicious intent, before being sent off. He quickly issued an apology, but the tackle drew widespread criticism from media outlets and resulted in numerous death threats from outraged Anderlecht and Poland fans. Initially, the Belgian Football Association imposed a ban until 23 November; however, this was later reduced to eight matches following an appeal.

Witsel continued to contribute significantly to Standard Liège, helping them win the 2009 Belgian Super Cup and the Belgian Cup in 2011. Overall, he made 148 league appearances, scoring 33 goals, and a total of 183 appearances with 42 goals across all competitions for the club.

2.2. Benfica

On 13 July 2011, Witsel completed a transfer to Portuguese club Benfica, signing a five-year contract that included a 40.00 M EUR buyout clause. His impact was immediate; on 24 August 2011, Witsel scored two goals in a 3-1 victory against FC Twente in the Champions League play-off second leg, securing Benfica's place in the group stages with a 5-3 aggregate win.

He scored the opening goal in Benfica's 4-1 thrashing of Vitória de Guimarães in the Taça da Liga on 9 January 2012. Witsel also provided an assist to Nolito in a 4-1 league victory over Vitória de Setúbal. His fourth goal for the club came on 18 January against Santa Clara in another Taça da Liga match. On 14 April, Benfica reached the Taça da Liga final against Gil Vicente, which they won 2-1, with Witsel earning the Man of the Match award. This victory marked Benfica's fourth Taça da Liga title. For Benfica, Witsel made 29 league appearances and scored one goal, accumulating 49 appearances and 5 goals across all competitions before his departure.

2.3. Zenit Saint Petersburg

On 3 September 2012, Axel Witsel moved to Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg after signing a five-year contract. The transfer fee for the Belgian midfielder was 40.00 M EUR.

Witsel made his debut in the Russian Premier League on 14 September, coming on as a substitute for Konstantin Zyryanov in the 70th minute of Zenit's 2-0 loss to Terek Grozny. He netted his first two goals for the club on 30 November, contributing to Zenit's 4-2 victory over Spartak Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium. On 30 March 2013, Witsel scored Zenit's winning goal in the eighth minute against Terek Grozny, helping his team to a 3-0 league victory.

In the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League group stage opener on 16 September 2014, Witsel scored Zenit's second goal in a 2-0 away win against his former club, Benfica. After finishing third in their Champions League group, Zenit entered the Europa League knockout phase. Witsel scored on a rebound in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash against Torino on 12 March 2015, helping Zenit secure a 2-0 victory. On 26 April, he scored the only goal of the game in the seventeenth minute as Zenit defeated Arsenal Tula 1-0 in a league match at the Petrovsky Stadium. On 17 May, Witsel played the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw against FC Ufa, a result that secured Zenit the Premier League crown, their fourth title and Witsel's first with the club.

On 12 July 2015, in the 2015 Russian Super Cup, Witsel successfully converted his penalty during a 4-2 shoot-out win over FC Lokomotiv Moscow, after the match had ended 1-1. He also contributed to Zenit's Russian Cup victory in the 2015-16 season. In total, Witsel made 122 league appearances and scored 16 goals for Zenit, with an overall record of 180 appearances and 22 goals across all competitions.

2.4. Tianjin Quanjian

On 3 January 2017, Zenit Saint Petersburg officially announced that Axel Witsel had transferred to Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian for a reported fee of 18.00 M EUR.

Witsel made his debut for Tianjin Quanjian on 4 March 2017, in a 2-0 loss to Guangzhou R&F. A week later, on 11 March, he scored the club's first ever goal in the Chinese Super League during a 1-1 draw against Shanghai Greenland Shenhua. During his time in China, Witsel made 36 league appearances, scoring 5 goals, and recorded 47 appearances with 6 goals across all competitions.

2.5. Borussia Dortmund

On 6 August 2018, Axel Witsel returned to European football, signing a four-year contract with German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, set to last until 30 June 2022. The transfer fee was reported to be 20.00 M EUR, with Witsel reportedly earning an annual salary of 10.00 M EUR, making him the highest-paid player at the club.

Witsel made an immediate impact upon his arrival. On 21 August, in his debut for the club against SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, he scored an equalizing goal in stoppage time, bringing the score to 1-1. Dortmund went on to win the match 2-1 in extra time. Five days later, on 26 August, Witsel scored his first Bundesliga goal on his league debut for the club with an impressive overhead kick in a 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig.

In his first season, the 2018-19 campaign, Witsel played in 33 of 34 league matches (missing only one due to injury), contributing 4 goals and 1 assist. On 3 August 2019, he played the full 90 minutes in the 2019 DFL-Supercup as Borussia Dortmund defeated Bayern Munich 2-0, securing his first title with the German club.

On 11 January 2021, during the first half of a Bundesliga match against RB Leipzig, Witsel suffered a severe Achilles tendon rupture in his left foot, which forced him into a long period of recovery. Initial diagnoses suggested he would be sidelined for approximately eight months. However, through dedicated rehabilitation, Witsel made a remarkable return to the pitch in about five months, enabling him to participate in UEFA Euro 2020 (held in 2021). He also contributed to Dortmund's DFB-Pokal triumph in the 2020-21 season. Overall, Witsel made 105 league appearances and scored 10 goals for Borussia Dortmund, with 145 appearances and 13 goals across all competitions.

2.6. Atlético Madrid

On 7 July 2022, after his contract with Borussia Dortmund expired, Axel Witsel signed a one-year contract with Spanish club Atlético Madrid on a free transfer. Despite being 33 years old at the time of his transfer, Witsel quickly became a key player for coach Diego Simeone.

Under Simeone, Witsel successfully adapted to a new role, primarily playing as a central defender in a 5-3-2 formation, a position he had rarely occupied before. While his playing time saw a temporary reduction when the team shifted to a four-back formation mid-season, he regained prominence in the latter half of the 2022-23 season due to injuries to other defenders, notably Stefan Savić. He concluded the 2022-23 La Liga season with 33 league appearances.

In the 2023-24 season, Witsel became a regular starter at center-back, playing a crucial role in Atlético's defense. At 35 years old, he had a career-high 4,001 minutes played across 51 official matches, demonstrating remarkable consistency and absence of decline. He scored his first goal for Atlético in La Liga on Matchday 13 against Villarreal CF, contributing to a 3-1 victory. On 13 June 2024, Atlético Madrid announced that Witsel had extended his contract with the club until June 2025. As of January 2025, he has made 80 league appearances and scored 2 goals for Atlético, with 113 appearances and 2 goals across all competitions.

3.1. Youth national teams

Prior to his senior international career, Witsel represented Belgium at youth levels. He played for the U-17 side at the 2006 UEFA U-17 European Championship and for the U-21 side in 2007, where he earned nine caps and helped his team reach the semi-finals of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

3.2. Senior national team debut and early years

On 26 March 2008, Witsel made his senior international debut for Belgium during a friendly match against Morocco. Despite Belgium suffering a 1-4 loss, Witsel scored his first international goal in this game.

His first goals in a competitive international match came on 25 March 2011, exactly three years after his debut, when he scored twice against Austria in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier. Witsel put Belgium ahead in the sixth minute, heading home a high cross from Steven Defour past the Austrian goalkeeper, Jürgen Macho. He then added his second goal early in the second half from a Laurent Ciman cross, expertly trapping the ball with his chest before scoring. However, Belgium's hopes of qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012 were dashed on 11 October 2011, following a defeat to Germany coupled with Turkey's victory over Azerbaijan.

3.3. Major tournaments

Witsel has been a consistent presence in Belgium's squads for major international tournaments.

• 2014 FIFA World Cup:** On 13 May 2014, Witsel was named in Belgium's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He started in midfield in the team's opening game, a 2-1 victory against Algeria in Belo Horizonte. Belgium reached the quarter-finals of the tournament.
• UEFA Euro 2016:** Witsel was also part of the Belgian squad for UEFA Euro 2016, announced on 31 May 2016. He scored his first tournament goal during the championships, in a Group E match against the Republic of Ireland. Belgium advanced to the quarter-finals.
• 2018 FIFA World Cup:** Witsel scored twice in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, both in comprehensive victories over Gibraltar. Manager Roberto Martínez included him in the squad for the final tournament in Russia. Witsel played a key role as Belgium achieved a historic third-place finish in the tournament.

• UEFA Nations League:** Witsel participated in the inaugural 2018-19 UEFA Nations League campaign. He scored against Iceland in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League A, a match Belgium won 5-1. Belgium finished as runner-up in this edition of the tournament. He also scored against Poland in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League A, which Belgium won 6-1.
• UEFA Euro 2020:** Witsel was part of Belgium's squad for UEFA Euro 2020, which was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2022 FIFA World Cup:** Witsel was included in the Belgian squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, the team's performance was disappointing, and they failed to progress beyond the group stage.
• UEFA Euro 2024:** After initially retiring from international duty, Witsel reversed his decision and was included in Belgium's squad for UEFA Euro 2024.

Throughout these major tournaments, Witsel consistently wore the number 6 jersey for Belgium from the 2014 FIFA World Cup onwards, playing as a regular starter in every campaign.

3.4. National team retirement and return

On 17 March 2023, new Belgian coach Domenico Tedesco notably omitted Witsel from the squad for upcoming European Championship qualifying games, citing the player's lack of consistent playing time at club level.

On 12 May 2023, Axel Witsel announced his retirement from the national team via Instagram, concluding a 15-year career with Belgium. At the time of his retirement, he had accumulated 130 appearances for the Red Devils, making him the country's second-most capped player, only behind Jan Vertonghen. However, Witsel would later reverse this decision. On 28 May 2024, he was officially included in Belgium's squad for UEFA Euro 2024, marking his return to international football.

6.1. Club achievements

• Standard Liège
  • Belgian Pro League: 2007-08, 2008-09
  • Belgian Cup: 2010-11
  • Belgian Supercup: 2008, 2009
• Benfica
  • Taça da Liga: 2011-12
• Zenit Saint Petersburg
  • Russian Football Premier League: 2014-15
  • Russian Cup: 2015-16
  • Russian Super Cup: 2015
• Borussia Dortmund
  • DFB-Pokal: 2020-21
  • DFL-Supercup: 2019

6.2. International achievements

• Belgium
  • FIFA World Cup third place: 2018
  • UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2020-21

6.3. Individual achievements

• Belgian Young Footballer of the Year: 2007-08
• Belgian Golden Shoe: 2008
• O Jogo Team of the Year: 2012
• UEFA Euro 2016 Man of the Match: vs. Republic of Ireland (Group Stage)