Here we help you get to know Melvine Malard better following the news the France international has completed a transfer to Chelsea ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Malard becomes our third signing of the summer, after Katie McCabe and Manaka Matsukubo, and will bolster [Sonia Bompastor](/en/teams/profile/sonia-bompastor)’s attacking options for the forthcoming campaign. Here is all the information you need to know…
How old is Melvine Malard?
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Melvine Malard was born on 28 June 2000, so she recently turned 26 years old.
Where is Melvine Malard from?
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Melvine Malard hails from Reunion, a small French island in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar and Mauritius. She moved to mainland France as a 14-year-old to play for Lyon.
How does Melvine Malard know Sonia Bompastor?
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Bompastor scouted Malard when she was 14 playing at a regional tournament at Clairefontaine, the France football academy. Bompastor, working for Lyon’s Academy, encouraged her to move to France and sign for the club, which she did.
Bompastor would later coach Malard in Lyon’s first team and now the duo have reunited at Chelsea.
Where does Melvine Malard play?
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Melvine Malard is a versatile attacker. She can play in the central striking position or on either flank.
What is Melvine Malard like as a player?
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Melvine Malard is a dynamic forward whose skill and speed makes her an excellent dribbler of the ball. She can drop deep to link up play, as proven by her impressive assist stats in recent years, as well as running in behind defences. She also plays with a smile on her face, bringing her energy and charisma into her game.
What international recognition has Melvine Malard received?
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Melvine Malard was a regular in France’s youth teams. At the Under-19 European Championships in 2019, Malard won the Golden Boot, scoring four goals, as France lifted the trophy.
The following year she made her senior debut in a win over Serbia, and then scored her first goals for France in October 2021.
Malard represented her country at the European Championships in 2022 – scoring against Iceland – and in 2025. She now has 41 caps and 14 goals to her name at senior international level.
Who has Melvine Malard played for?
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Malard played for Saint-Denis in her native Reunion before signing for Lyon. She developed through their academy, and signed her first professional contract in 2017. A loan at Fleury 91 followed during the 2019/20 season before returning to Lyon's first team towards the end of that campaign. She joined Manchester United in 2023, initially on loan before making the move permanent the following summer.
What honours has Melvine Malard won?
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During her time with Lyon, Malard won the Premiere Ligue on three occasions (2019, 2022 and 2023) and the Coupe de France twice (2019, 2023).
Most impressively, she is a four-time Champions League winner with Lyon, a member of the squad that lifted the trophy in three consecutive years – 2018, 2019, 2020 – and then again in 2022, when Bompastor was in charge.
At Manchester United, Malard won the FA Cup in 2024, while her international honours include the Under-19 Euros and the Tournoi de France, a discontinued mini tournament.
How long is Melvine Malard’s contract at Chelsea?
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Malard has signed a four-year contract at Chelsea, committing her future to the club until 2030.
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