An attacking option for Didier Deschamps at the World Cup, Rayan Cherki opened his senior account for Olympique Lyonnais in January 2020. He scored in a Coupe de France tie at FBBP 01 aged 16 years and 140 days, a club record that still stands.
The round-of-64 meeting with Bourg-Péronnas finished 0-7 at Stade Verchère in Bourg-en-Bresse on 4 January 2020. According to Le Progres, the team sheet, listing him as No 16, Mathis Rayan Cherki, is a collector’s item, surely the only time he wore a goalkeeper’s number.
Rudi Garcia introduced him with a quarter of an hour left, with OL cruising at 0-4. The prodigy showcased his technical finesse against a National side that could not live with him.
On a bitterly cold night, the tie marked his emergence at senior level, or at least a significant step, with his first professional goal.
The Coupe de France’s official documents often reveal players’ full civil names, a reminder of given names unfamiliar to many supporters.
