Biography
Who is William Saliba?
Early life and background
William Alain André Gabriel Saliba was born on March 24, 2001, in Bondy, France. This location is a commune situated in the northeastern suburbs of Paris within the Seine-Saint-Denis department. His father is Lebanese and his mother was from Cameroon. He began his football path at the age of six by joining the local team AS Bondy. During his time at that club, he received coaching from the father of Kylian Mbappé.
William Saliba grew up in the Paris region before moving into professional youth academies. His development as a young player eventually led him to Saint-Étienne, where he started his senior career. He practiced his skills as a defender throughout these formative years, eventually signing his first professional contract with Saint-Étienne in May 2018 at age 17.
Career at Saint-Étienne and move to Arsenal
The professional career of William Saliba began with Saint-Étienne. He made his debut in Ligue 1 on September 25, 2018, during a 3-2 victory against Toulouse. Throughout his first season, he participated in 13 starting appearances. In July 2019, he signed a long-term contract with Arsenal for a reported fee of £27 million, despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
After joining Arsenal, he returned to Saint-Étienne on loan for the 2019-2020 season. He played 17 games during that campaign and helped the team reach the 2020 Coupe de France Final. However, he missed that match because his loan agreement ended shortly before the rescheduled event. He returned to Arsenal on July 24, 2020, following the conclusion of the loan arrangement.
Loan spells and Arsenal first-team success
Before becoming a regular starter at Arsenal, he spent time on loan with other French clubs. In January 2021, he joined Nice for the remainder of the 2020-2021 season, where he earned the club's Player of the Month award for January. He then moved to Marseille for the 2021-2022 season. While at Marseille, he made 52 appearances and helped the club qualify for the Champions League. He also received recognition as the UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year.
William returned to Arsenal for the 2022-2023 season and debuted in the Premier League on August 5, 2022, against Crystal Palace. He scored his first goal for the club two weeks later against AFC Bournemouth. In July 2023, he signed a new long-term deal with Arsenal running until 2028. During the 2023-2024 season, he played every single minute of Arsenal's Premier League campaign. He later signed an extension with the club until 2030 in September 2025.
International play and major honours
William Saliba made his senior debut for the France national team in 2022. He was part of the squad that competed in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, making his tournament debut against Tunisia. He also participated in UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During the 2026 tournament, he sustained a back injury in the semi-finals against Spain.
His trophy cabinet includes several significant achievements. He was part of the Arsenal side that won the Premier League title in the 2025-2026 season and the FA Community Shield in 2020 and 2023. Also, he was a runner-up in the 2022 FIFA World Cup with France and a runner-up in the 2019-2020 Coupe de France with Saint-Étienne.
Birthday and age
William Saliba was born on March 24, 2001, which makes William 25 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. William shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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