Rayan Cherki

Lyon

Cherki is a product of the youth academy of Lyon, and is considered one of their best-ever prospects. He began playing with their reserve side in the Championnat National 2 at the age of 15. On 7 July 2019, Cherki signed his first professional contract with Lyon until 2022. He made his professional debut in a 0–0 Ligue 1 draw against Dijon on 19 October 2019. After scoring four goals in the 2019–20 UEFA Youth League, he made his senior European debut on 27 November 2019 in a Champions League group stage game against Zenit Saint Petersburg, aged 16 years and 102 days, in which he substituted Maxwel Cornet in the 74th minute of a 2–0 loss.

On 4 January 2020, Cherki scored his first senior goal as a substitute in a 7–0 win over Bourg-en-Bresse in the Coupe de France, becoming the youngest-ever player to score a senior goal for Lyon, aged 16 years and 140 days. On 18 January, he was involved in all four of Lyon's goals in a 4–3 win over Nantes in another Coupe de France match; he scored a brace, and assisted the other two goals. On 19 August, Cherki was subbed on in a UEFA Champions League match against Bayern Munich. In doing so, he became the youngest-ever player to feature in a Champions League semi-final. Lyon were knocked out of the competition in that match, losing 3–0 to the eventual winners. Cherki scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 3–2 win over Monaco on 2 May 2021. His goal secured the victory for Lyon in the final minutes of the match. In September 2024,…

Youth

Cherki is eligible to play for either France, Algeria, or Italy – the latter two due to his parents' origin. He played for the France national under-16 team twice in 2018, both of which were friendly matches against Denmark. In 2024, Cherki was named in France U23's squad for the Olympic Games hosted in France. He appeared in three games during the tournament, starting in the last group stage game against New Zealand, and then appeared as a substitute in the semi-final game against Egypt, and then in the final against Spain, as France won the silver medal. Being an Olympic medalist, Cherki was awarded the Knight of the National Order of Merit.

Senior

Cherki debuted for the French senior squad on 5 June 2025, scoring and assisting in a 5–4 loss against Spain in the Nations League semi-finals. Three days later, on 9 June, he earned his first start in a 2–0 victory against Germany in the same tournament. On 14 May 2026, Cherki was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Mathis Rayan Cherki was born on 17 August 2003 in Lyon, France and is of Algerian and Italian descent. His father, Fabrice, has Algerian-Jewish and Italian roots traced back to Bari, and his mother, Abla, is of Algerian descent, with her roots traced back to Biskra.

Cherki is a Muslim.