He is a figure that received attention after his brilliant performance in the 2024 - 2025 Champions League final.
8 months of change
When Desire Doue steadily stepped onto the pitch with a sad face after 64 minutes at Arsenal in October, the man known as the "next golden boy of French football" looked lonely and as if he was in a playground beyond his class.
But just 8 months later - after a brilliant performance in the Champions League final, where Paris Saint-Germain crushed Inter Milan, the talented young striker has made the whole of Europe admire. With the name meaning thirsty to be given, this 19-year-old player has truly lived up to expectations, putting aside a spectacularly failed start.
That disappointment day of Duee took place in the defeat of Arsenal 0-2 at the Emirates at the new League phase (League Phase). Since then, he has grown and has become a key piece in the PSG squad under coach Luis Enrique. Doue played very well in a 4-2 victory over Manchester City at Parc des Princes in January, continuing to leave a mark when he entered the pitch instead of the decisive shootout on Liverpool's Anfield Stadium in the 1/8 round. Next is the fascinating performance when scoring the beautiful equalizer, torturing the Aston Villa defense in the 3-1 victory in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
However, the performance made the whole of Europe mention Doue's name in the final. He scored twice after assisting the opening goal in the 5-0 victory over Munich. What do you need Mbappe for when you have Desire Doue?, former Premier League champions Chris Sutton, exclaimed when commenting.
At 19 years and 362 days, Doue became the youngest player to score twice in a C1 Cup or Champions League final, surpassing Eusebio's record (20 years and 97 days when he scored twice for Benfica against Real Madrid in 1962). Not only that, but many times there are art forms that make PSG fans excited. Doue was so excited that she didn't know what to say, how to express her emotions.
I am sure that after the final, many people would have liked to watch the confrontation between Doue and Lamine Yamal of Barcelona instead of a one-sided game like that. But, everything has its reasons. And Doue and Yamal have more time and many opportunities to make a commitment to the fans.
PSG's determination and patience
The rise of the young man born in Angers was a spectacular journey. Doue was not even guaranteed to start at Rennes last season, but PSG still spent up to £43 million in the summer of 2024 to recruit him in an effort to fill the void left by Kylian Mbappe.
Doue was born into a family with a tradition of football. Guela (22 years old) is currently playing right-back for Strasbourg after leaving Rennes, while his cousin Yann Gboho is a bright attacking midfielder for Toulouse. With 2 French bloodlines - Cote d'Ao Nam, Doue chose and debuted as a European representative in the 2-0 win over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals in March, scoring in a penalty shootout.
Guela chose the Ivorian team again. The two were closely led by their father Maho - who organizes daily training sessions outside of their training hours in Rennes, and is still an important advisor to their careers.
Many people have been teased when PSG spent such a large sum of money to recruit Doue, but Rennes is famous for both its "diamond winning" and its ability to wear it. They sold Ousmane Dembele to Dortmund, Eduardo Camavinga to Real Madrid and Mathys Tel (now on loan from Tottenham) to Bayern Munich. Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United and Newcastle all followed Doue closely, but in the end only PSG and Bayern Munich remained.
French football expert Julien Laurens shared: PSG wanted to pay about £34 million and tried to force the price, while Bayern was willing to pay more than 50 million. But Doue chose PSG. It sounds like a high-selling deal, like when PSG paid Bradley Barcola £34 million after a good half season at Lyon. But when buying and selling domestically in France, the price is always somewhat "expensive", like in the UK".
Importantly, coach Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos both believe that they have a future superstar in hand. Doue is very talented and strong both physically and mentally. At PSG, people say his legs are like rugby players - the lower body is extremely firm. They knew it took Doue time to adapt, and were prepared for the wait mentality. Enrique was very happy to have signed the person he wanted. Whether Doue needs half a season or a season to adapt, PSG is still ready to wait.
Despite carrying many new expectations, Doue still maintains a professional demeanor, which has made PSG's internal satisfaction. Doue's former coach at Rennes, Bruno Genesio, once said: "On the pitch, Doue is an ideal guy: calm, knows how to listen, and has leadership qualities. He is both carefree and careful at work. In mind, you are a true professional player.
Doue was first noted when recruiting U17 French championship in Israel in 2022, then was present on the bench of the 2024 Olympic final in Paris, in the 77th minute in the 3-5 defeat against Spain after extra time. The need to play the Olympic Games is said to be the reason why Doue has no preparation in advance with the PSG, but being managed by Enrique carefully, being indicated and encouraged at the beginning is not good.
This season, Doue has only started 8 matches in the Champions League, coming off the bench 8 times, scoring 5 goals and having 4 assists. The match against Liverpool at Anfield was a turning point - Doue entered the field in the 67th minute and played strangely steadily, before taking a penalty kick to take PSG further.
Caution
PSG have tried to keep Doue away from the media, and the positive influence from his family is also huge. Laurens said: Doc Maho is extremely important in every decision. Some families think their children are the new Cristiano Ronaldo, and are blind to what is happening. But Doue's family is very realistic. After the match against Arsenal - where Doue clearly did not show up - they said he was not ready for the leap. They know Doue needs to practice more, needs to mature. A practical and valuable view".
Doue also had to get used to life in the "golden fish tank" of Paris, far from the peaceful Rennes. He lives in Boulogne-Billancourt, a trendy residential area. L'equipe journalist Pierre-Etienne Minonzio shared: Recently, Doue joined a very famous bookstore. He intended to find a book, but was immediately recognized. Because he was young, he thought it was normal, but maybe after that time he didn't dare to come back. Doue focuses on performance and always wants to be the best. If someone advises you to limit public appearances, you will understand right away.
It was not until December that Doue scored his first goal for PSG - a 3-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League - and since then, he has taken off.
He was born in 2005, and in the French football world, people think Mathys Tel is the precious gem of that generation, Minonzio said, Doue is not the number 1 talent of the 2005 generation. But when they grow up, psychological factors make a difference. Doue showed extraordinary mental courage. People used to think Tel was a star, but now, the whole of France is talking about Doue.
The limit is the sky
The pinnacle of that progress was being called up to the French National Team by coach Didier Deschamps, surpassing both Rayan Cherki (Lyon) and Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco) - the names expected to be more.
Laurens said: Since his debut for France, everything has changed. Doue played great against Croatia, was not afraid, always demanded the ball, and took a cold penalty kick. That was the moment he officially appeared.
Minonzio added: Deschamps are very interested in the Champions League. He wants his players to perform at a high level. It is very rare for him to choose players who only shine in Ligue 1. Last March, Doue cannot be ignored anymore".
The sky is the limit for Doue now but caution is still needed.
A few months ago, I would have said that Warren Zaire-Emery is the future of PSG. He is also 19 years old, Parisian, full of talent, Minonzio said, But when he is in trouble, I see who can overcome him. That is what makes the French curious about Doue. We don't know his limits. But at the moment, he is free, not suspicious of himself, and everything is fine. Doue is really extraordinary".
