1. Overview
Khéphren Thuram-Ulien is a French professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder. He currently represents Serie A club Juventus and the France national team. Thuram began his professional career at Monaco, making his debut at 17 in the UEFA Champions League. He then moved to Nice in 2019, where he became a key player over five seasons, making 167 appearances and featuring in the 2022 Coupe de France final. In 2024, he transferred to Juventus. After representing France at various youth levels, he made his senior international debut for the French national team in 2023.
2. Personal life and background
Khéphren Thuram-Ulien was born on March 26, 2001, in Reggio Emilia, Italy, while his father was playing for Parma. He is the son of former France international footballer Lilian Thuram and the younger brother of Inter and France national team forward Marcus Thuram. Thuram is of Guadeloupean descent through his father. He was named after the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Khephren, which led to his nickname, Le Pharaon (The Pharaoh).
Thuram's early football development included time at several youth clubs. From 2006 to 2007, he was part of Barcelona's youth system. He then played for Olympique de Neuilly from 2007 to 2013. Between 2013 and 2016, he was with AC Boulogne-Billancourt, during which time he successfully passed the selection process for the INF Clairefontaine in 2014, where he received further football instruction. He later joined the youth academy of Monaco from 2016 to 2018, a club his father also played for. Thuram stands at 76 in (192 cm) tall and weighs 179 lb (81 kg).
3. Club career
Khéphren Thuram's club career has seen him progress through the ranks of French football with Monaco and Nice, before making a significant move to Italian giants Juventus.
3.1. Monaco
Thuram made his professional debut for Monaco at the age of 17 on November 28, 2018. This appearance came in a UEFA Champions League group stage match, an away fixture against Atlético Madrid, which Monaco lost 2-0. He entered the game as a 63rd-minute substitute, replacing Aleksandr Golovin. Despite his professional debut, he made only three senior appearances for Monaco before his departure.
3.2. Nice
On June 26, 2019, Khéphren Thuram joined Nice, a rival of Monaco in the Derby de la Côte d'Azur, after his contract with Monaco expired on July 1. This move marked his first professional contract. He made his debut for Nice on August 17, 2019, in a 2-1 away victory against Nîmes, coming on as a substitute for Ignatius Ganago in the final seven minutes of the match.
Initially, Thuram had limited playing opportunities, but he eventually earned the trust of then-manager Patrick Vieira. Following an injury to Wylan Cyprien, Thuram stepped into the defensive midfielder role and became a consistent starter. He scored his first professional goal on October 3, 2020, in a home match against Nantes, which proved to be the winning goal in a 2-1 victory.
In September 2021, Thuram extended his contract with Nice, which was originally set to expire in July 2022, for an undisclosed duration. On May 7, 2022, he played in the 2022 Coupe de France final, where Nice was narrowly defeated by Nantes. During the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season, he contributed four goals and three assists, helping Nice secure a fifth-place finish and qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League. His impressive performances led to speculation about a potential transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, following his former manager Christophe Galtier.
Thuram's consistent form was recognized when he was selected for the Ligue 1 Team of the Season for the 2022-23 campaign. Notably, he was the only player on the list not from one of the top three clubs in the league. One of his two goals that season came in a significant 3-0 derby victory against his former club, Monaco. Overall, Thuram made 167 appearances for Nice across all competitions.
3.3. Juventus
On July 10, 2024, Khéphren Thuram completed a transfer to Serie A club Juventus, signing a five-year contract. The transfer fee paid to Nice was 20.00 M EUR, which is approximately 29.80 B KRW. His move to Juventus placed him in a unique family dynamic, as his older brother, Marcus Thuram, plays for Inter Milan, one of Juventus's main rivals. In December 2024, Khéphren became the third member of the Thuram family to score in Serie A.
As of February 26, 2025, Thuram has made 36 appearances for Juventus across all competitions, scoring 3 goals. This includes 24 appearances and 2 goals in Serie A, 2 appearances and 1 goal in Coppa Italia, 9 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, and 1 appearance in the Supercoppa Italiana.
4. International career
Khéphren Thuram has represented France at various levels of international football, from youth teams to the senior national squad.
4.1. Youth international career
Thuram has been a consistent presence in the French youth national teams. He has played for the U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-21 squads. During his time with the U-16 team, he notably served as captain.
His youth international statistics are as follows:
- U-16 (2016-2017): 12 appearances, 1 goal
- U-17 (2017-2018): 6 appearances, 0 goals
- U-18 (2018-2019): 8 appearances, 0 goals
- U-19 (2019): 7 appearances, 1 goal
- U-21 (2021-2022): 14 appearances, 2 goals
4.2. Senior international career
In March 2023, Khéphren Thuram received his first call-up to the France senior national team. This call-up was for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland. He made his senior international debut on March 24, 2023, at Stade de France, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for Adrien Rabiot in a commanding 4-0 victory over the Netherlands.
Later that year, in November 2023, Thuram was recalled to the national team. This occurred after Eduardo Camavinga sustained a right knee sprain during the ongoing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. In the summer of 2024, France U-23 manager Thierry Henry selected Thuram to be part of the squad for the football event at the 2024 Summer Olympics held in Paris. However, his new club, Juventus, ultimately did not permit him to participate in the tournament.
5. Career statistics
The following tables detail Khéphren Thuram's club and international career statistics.
5.1. Club
As of match played 26 February 2025.
| Club | Season | League | National cup1 | Europe2 | Other3 | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Monaco B | 2018-19 | National 2 | 14 | 1 | - | - | - | 14 | 1 | |||
| Monaco | 2018-19 | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Nice B | 2019-20 | National 3 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | |||
| Nice | 2019-20 | Ligue 1 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2020-21 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2021-22 | Ligue 1 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 41 | 4 | |||
| 2022-23 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | - | 48 | 2 | ||
| 2023-24 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 1 | |||
| Total | 141 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 | - | 167 | 9 | |||
| Juventus | 2024-25 | Serie A | 24 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 3 |
| Career total | 183 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 224 | 13 | ||
Notes:
1Includes appearances in the Coupe de France and Coppa Italia.
2Includes appearances in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League.
3Includes appearances in the Coupe de la Ligue and Supercoppa Italiana.
5.2. International
As of match played 24 March 2023.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
6. Honors
Khéphren Thuram has received the following honors throughout his career:
Nice
- Coupe de France runner-up: 2021-22
Individual
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2022-23