Georges Mikautadze

1.1. Early Life and Background

Mikautadze's family moved from Georgia to France in the late 1990s, settling in Lyon. He grew up speaking Georgian at home, having been taught by his parents, Natia and Lasha Mikautadze, who are noted as being very proud of his achievements in both France and Georgia. Despite being born and raised in France, he made regular visits to Georgia during the summers, maintaining a strong connection to his roots.

2.1. Early Career

Mikautadze began his football journey at FC Gerland before joining the Lyon youth academy in 2008, where he remained until 2015. He also spent a year at AS Saint-Priest from 2015 to 2016 before moving to Metz's football academy in 2016, where he continued his development until 2018. During his time in the reserve teams, he played for Metz B, scoring 1 goal in 6 matches in the 2018-19 Championnat National 3 season, and later 8 goals in 18 matches in the 2019-20 Championnat National 3 season, accumulating a total of 9 goals in 24 appearances for Metz B.

2.2. Metz (First Stint)

Mikautadze made his professional debut with FC Metz's senior team on 7 December 2019, in a 4-1 Ligue 1 loss to Nice. Just three days later, on 10 December 2019, he signed his first professional contract with Metz, a four-year deal. Despite this, he initially struggled to make a significant impact in his first senior season, primarily playing for the reserve team. He only made one appearance for the senior team during the 2019-20 season, failing to score. The following season (2020-21), he made one more Ligue 1 appearance for Metz before being loaned out.

2.3. Loan Spells at Seraing

In June 2020, Mikautadze was among six Metz players loaned to Belgian First Division B side Seraing. He quickly demonstrated his prolific scoring ability, netting 15 goals in his first nine matches, including an impressive four goals on his debut against Lommel. By the end of the 2020-21 season, he was a joint topscorer in the league with 19 goals. His contributions were vital in Seraing's successful promotion campaign, as he scored three goals in a 6-3 aggregate play-off victory over Waasland-Beveren. For his outstanding performance, Mikautadze was named in the Belgian First Division B Team of the Season and received the Métallo d'Or, an annual award voted by fans for Seraing's best player.

On 30 August 2021, he returned to Seraing for a second loan spell, following the club's promotion to the Belgian top tier. He continued to be a key player, scoring 9 goals in 28 matches during the 2021-22 season. Although the team finished in the relegation zone, they managed to stay in the league due to Mikautadze's decisive goal in the play-offs against Molenbeek. Across both loan spells, he made 49 appearances for Seraing, scoring 28 goals in league play and an additional 4 goals in 4 play-off matches.

2.4. Metz (Second Stint)

In the summer of 2022, Mikautadze returned to Metz and immediately became a crucial player in their Ligue 2 promotion push. He was nominated for the Player of the Month award in August 2022, and by March 2023, he was the leading goalscorer in the league. The National Union of Professional Players (UNPF) recognized his outstanding form by naming him Ligue 2 Player of the Month for March. He continued his exceptional scoring run, adding nine more goals in April and May, and was selected in the Team of the Week for six consecutive weeks during this period. By the end of the season, Mikautadze was not only the league's top goalscorer with 23 goals but also named the best player in Ligue 2. His remarkable performance significantly contributed to Metz's promotion back to Ligue 1 for the 2023-24 season. He started the new Ligue 1 season impressively, scoring two goals against Marseille and Clermont, and providing an assist in the opening game against Rennes.

2.5. Ajax

On 30 August 2023, Eredivisie club Ajax announced the signing of Mikautadze on a five-year contract. The transfer fee was reported to be around 16.00 M EUR, potentially rising to 19.00 M EUR with add-ons. He made his debut for Ajax, starting and playing the full match, in a 0-0 away draw against Fortuna Sittard. He also made his European debut in Ajax's 2-0 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion in the UEFA Europa League. However, his tenure at Ajax was brief and challenging; during the first half of the 2023-24 campaign, Mikautadze made just nine appearances across all competitions and did not score a goal.

2.6. Metz (Third Stint, Loan)

On 4 January 2024, Mikautadze returned to FC Metz on loan from Ajax for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. The loan agreement included an option for Metz to buy him for around 13.00 M EUR. Initially, he struggled to find the net in his first five games back. However, he quickly regained his form, scoring ten goals in the subsequent ten matches. This impressive scoring run included his first goal since returning to Metz in a 2-1 defeat to Lyon, a brace in a crucial 2-1 victory over Lens, another goal against Clermont, a penalty against Nantes, a brace in a 4-3 loss to Brest, the sole goal in a 1-0 win over Le Havre, a penalty in a 2-1 defeat to Lille, and a lob over Steve Mandanda in a 3-2 defeat against Rennes, where he controversially received a red card that was later overturned on appeal.

By mid-April, Get French Football News highlighted his incredible impact, noting that despite only making 15 appearances in Metz's 29 matches, he accounted for 30% of the team's goals. Mikautadze was voted Player of the Month by Metz fans three times during this season: in August 2023, and again in February and April 2024. He concluded the second half of the 2023-24 season with 13 goals in 20 matches. Despite his efforts, Metz was ultimately relegated from Ligue 1 after a defeat in the play-offs against Saint-Étienne.

2.7. Lyon

On 18 July 2024, despite Metz having previously reached an agreement with Monaco, Mikautadze chose to sign for his former club Lyon. He penned a four-year deal with Lyon for 18.50 M EUR, with an additional 4.50 M EUR in potential bonuses and a 15% sell-on clause. One month later, on 18 August 2024, he made his first appearance for Lyon in a 3-0 away defeat to Rennes.

Mikautadze opened his goal-scoring account for Lyon with a brace in a 2-2 draw against Auxerre on 27 October 2024. On 28 November 2024, during the fifth matchday of the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League league phase, he scored two goals in a 4-1 victory over Qarabağ, marking his first goals in European club competitions.

4.1. Club

4.2. International

Scores and results list Georgia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mikautadze goal.

5.1. Individual

• Ligue 2 Player of the Year: 2022-23
• UNFP Ligue 2 Team of the Year: 2022-23
• UEFA European Championship top scorer: 2024 (shared)
• Order of Honor: 2024