This is the story of a prodigy who started out in 2010 in Aubervilliers before continuing four years later at Paris Saint-Germain. A young player who, born in Montreuil, decided to dream and climb the ranks at his own pace without skipping steps.
The fact is, he doesn’t seem to need to take his time. His talent lights up pitches across France and Europe, and his name is beginning to be the one on everyone’s lips. He is called Warren Zaïre-Emery, and it didn’t take long before his name was being chanted by the entire Parc des Princes.
Yet it was far from the Porte de Saint-Cloud stadium that the first lines of the story between Paris Saint-Germain and Warren Zaïre-Emery in the professional world were written. On 6 August 2022, it was on the pitch in Clermont that he made his debut in the top flight, becoming the youngest player in the history of the club from the capital at 16 years and 151 days. It was also away from Paris, in Châteauroux and then in Rennes, that he experienced his first two starts.
On this very special day, as he celebrates his 20th birthday, the French international already has many standout performances to his name, but one particular evening in December 2023 will forever remain etched as one of the defining moments of his fruitful career. Having been established in Luis Enrique’s starting eleven since the start of the season, he scored the decisive goal in Dortmund on the final day of the group stage, allowing his team to secure their place in the knockout stage at the last moment.
As the weeks and months went by, Warren continued his meteoric rise, and his place in the starting eleven was never called into question. From 10 starts during his first professional season, he moved up to 36 starts during the 2023–2024 campaign. His performances allowed him to keep breaking records at an impressive pace.
On 18 January 2025, it was in the heated atmosphere of the Félix-Bollaert stadium in Lens that he celebrated his 100th match in all competitions with Paris with a victory (1–2). That evening, at 18 years and 316 days old, he became the youngest Parisian to reach the milestone of 100 matches in all competitions, surpassing Jean-Marc Pilorget by more than a year.
As the final third of the 2025–2026 season approaches, Warren Zaïre-Emery has established himself as one of the most important members of the squad in the eyes of Luis Enrique. Having started 37 of the 40 matches played by Paris in all competitions, the Montreuil native has proven himself indispensable. A sign of his precociousness, he became in January, against Auxerre, the youngest Paris player to reach the milestone of 100 Ligue 1 appearances, while also joining the very exclusive group of three players to achieve this feat before the age of 20.
Beyond his playing time, it is also his level of performance that impresses. Whether in midfield or at right-back, Warren lights up matches with his talent. Among the five major leagues, no player under the age of 20 has recovered more balls than him (176). His importance to the team is also demonstrated by his vision of the game, as he has completed 2,288 passes so far in all competitions, the second-highest total in Europe’s top five leagues.
Already a shining example across France, Warren Zaïre-Emery has also etched his name into the history books of the UEFA Champions League. With 39 matches played to date, he is not only the player who has played the most games in the competition at the age of 20, but also the one with the most victories at that age (19).
The youngest player in the history of Paris Saint-Germain, Warren also holds this distinction with the French national team after making his debut against Gibraltar at 17 years and 255 days. In that match, he also scored his first goal for Les Bleus!
Whether at the Parc des Princes or across Europe, in Ligue 1, the Champions League, or on the international stage, Warren Zaïre-Emery has established himself at just 20 years old as an indispensable player, as well as a role model for his peers at the club’s academy who dream—just like him—of reaching the stars.
