1. Early life
Zagadou was born on June 3, 1999, in Créteil, located in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. His parents are of Ivorian descent. He acquired French nationality on July 8, 2008, a process completed through the collective effect of his mother's naturalization.
2. Club career
Dan-Axel Zagadou's professional journey spans several notable clubs, beginning with his foundational training in France and progressing to prominent teams in the German Bundesliga.
2.1. Youth and early career
Zagadou began his football development at a junior level with his hometown club, US Créteil-Lusitanos, starting in 2006 and remaining there until 2011. At the age of 12, in 2011, he joined the prestigious Paris Saint-Germain youth system. He spent the subsequent five seasons honing his skills within PSG's academy. In 2016, he was assigned to the reserve squad, Paris Saint-Germain B, where he made nine appearances in the Championnat de France Amateur (CFA). During his time in the youth ranks, Zagadou established himself as a left-footed centre-back and even served as captain for the U-18 France national team.
2.2. Borussia Dortmund
On June 5, 2017, German club Borussia Dortmund announced the signing of Zagadou on a free transfer, securing him with a five-year contract. His tenure at Dortmund saw him make an immediate impact. On October 28, 2017, he scored his first goal for the club during an away match against Hannover 96. However, the game ended in a 4-2 loss for Dortmund, and Zagadou also received his first red card in the 59th minute of that match. After five seasons with the club, it was announced on May 12, 2022, that Zagadou's contract would not be renewed, leading to his departure as a free agent.
2.3. VfB Stuttgart
On September 19, 2022, following his departure from Borussia Dortmund, Zagadou signed a four-year contract with VfB Stuttgart as a free agent. He currently plays as a centre-back or left-back for the club, wearing the jersey number 23.
3. International career
Dan-Axel Zagadou has had an extensive career representing France across multiple youth levels, demonstrating his talent and progression through the national setup.
He has played for the U16, U17, U18, U19, U20, and U21 teams. One of his notable appearances was in the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
His youth international statistics are as follows:
- U-16: 13 appearances, 2 goals
- U-17: 10 appearances, 0 goals
- U-18: 9 appearances, 0 goals
- U-19: 6 appearances, 1 goal
- U-20: 7 appearances, 2 goals
- U-21: 6 appearances, 2 goals
4. Career statistics
The following table details Dan-Axel Zagadou's professional club statistics. The "Europe" column includes appearances in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The "Other" column encompasses matches in the DFL-Supercup and Bundesliga relegation play-offs.
| Club | Season | League | DFB-Pokal | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain B | 2016-17 | CFA | 9 | 0 | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | |||
| Borussia Dortmund | 2017-18 | Bundesliga | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | Bundesliga | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 22 | 2 | ||
| 2019-20 | Bundesliga | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| 2020-21 | Bundesliga | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2021-22 | Bundesliga | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Total | 67 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 92 | 4 | ||
| Borussia Dortmund II | 2018-19 | Regionalliga West | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2021-22 | 3. Liga | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | |||||
| VfB Stuttgart | 2022-23 | Bundesliga | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2023-24 | Bundesliga | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 1 | |||
| 2024-25 | Bundesliga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 38 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 118 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 150 | 5 | ||
5. Honours
Borussia Dortmund
- DFB-Pokal: 2020-21
- DFL-Supercup: 2019
Individual
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship: Team of the Tournament (2016)