William Saliba

Saint-Étienne

Saliba began playing for Saint-Étienne in 2016, and signed his first contract at age 17, in May 2018. Saliba then made his professional debut on 25 September 2018, featuring in a 3–2 Ligue 1 win over Toulouse. He made 13 starting appearances in his first season at Saint-Étienne. After signing for Arsenal, Saliba returned to Saint-Étienne on loan for the 2019–20 season. He played 17 games for the club across the campaign, helping Saint-Étienne reach the 2020 Coupe de France Final; he missed the match as the loan agreement ended two weeks prior to the final, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although looking to temporarily extend his loan, had Saliba featured, Arsenal reportedly would have been due to pay Saint-Étienne €2.5 million. The French club was reportedly reluctant to waive the fee and also requested full control over his training sessions. As a result, Saliba returned to Arsenal on 24 July 2020.

Arsenal

On 25 July 2019, Arsenal announced that Saliba had signed a long-term contract with the club. Media reported a contract duration of five years and that the transfer fee amounted to £27 million. Arsenal faced competition from rivals Tottenham Hotspur to complete the deal, with both clubs meeting Saint-Étienne's valuation of the player, however, Saliba chose to join Arsenal, with the club's interest in Saliba dating back to late 2018. After spending the 2019–20 season on loan at former club Saint-Étienne, Saliba was handed…

On 21 March 2022, Saliba received a call-up to France's senior squad for the first time as an injury replacement to Benjamin Pavard to play in friendlies against the Ivory Coast and South Africa. He played in five of France's 2022–23 UEFA Nations League games. In November 2022, Saliba was called up to the 26-man France squad that would compete in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He made his tournament debut on 30 November, replacing Raphaël Varane in the 63rd minute of France's final group game against Tunisia. In May 2024, Saliba was included in France's squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. On 14 May 2026, Saliba was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He sustained a back injury during the World Cup semi-finals against Spain which would sideline him for several months.

Saliba can play as part of a back three and is known for his partnership with Gabriel. Saliba is renowned for his ball-playing ability, footballing intelligence, and passing accuracy. Due to his composure and finesse, Saliba has been described as a "Rolls Royce" footballer by many, including Martin Keown and David O'Leary, both former Arsenal centre-backs.

William Alain André Gabriel Saliba was born on 24 March 2001 in Bondy, a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, to a Lebanese father and a Cameroonian mother. He began playing football at the age of six for local team AS Bondy, where he was coached by the father of Kylian Mbappé.