French Football Star Presnel Kimpembe Plays For the Love of the Game
Following French soccer player Presnel Kimpembe’s journey from the banlieue to the mythical stadium of Paris Saint-Germain.
Photography by Nicolas Gerardin
Styled by Romuald Premier
The story of Presnel Kimpembe is one of many second-generation Frenchmen, but in the world of soccer, he is almost an exception, coming to Paris Saint-Germain from the outskirts of the city. Yet, the defender succeeded, beginning in Beaumont-sur-Oise and culminating in wearing the PSG captain's armband, as well as competing in the 2018 World Cup in Russia with France.
Born to a Congolese father and Haitian mother, Kimpembe, 27, had clear ideas for what he wanted to accomplish. Since the age of six, when he took his first soccer steps in the Louis-Larue stadium in nearby Éragny, he had only one goal in mind: to play for Paris Saint-Germain. At the age of 10, he was able to enter the Parisian youth sector. Kimpembe’s athletic idols at the time were not defenders, but offensive players like Ronaldinho, Okocha and Nené, even Ronaldo. As a young man, he played as a striker, then moved to the left wing and finally to the center defense, a role where he thrived. But it wasn't easy to get to the top. The young athlete had a delicate physique, so much so that the club managers thought he might not even qualify for the first team. There always seemed to be a reason not to give him space: too thin, too young, or too something else. In the meantime, some of his peers were already taking off: Adrien Rabiot signed his first professional contract with PSG at 17, while at 19, Kingsley Coman, Kimpembe’s former roommate, flew to Juventus.
All the while, Kimpembe remained on the reserve team. Little by little, however, he managed to carve out his own space. From his very first few minutes of playtime with the professionals in October 2014, he became a "titi" in all respects (as they call the young men who came up out of the youth sector of PSG). In March 2015, the athlete signed his first professional contract. But it was in the 2016-17 season, under the management of the Spanish football manager Unai Emery, that he began to play among the big leagues. And his definitive rise has a precise date: February 14, 2017, when PSG hosted Messi, Surez, and Neymar's Barcelona at the Parco dei Principi. Despite the well-known players in front of him, Kimpembe, lined up next to Marquinhos, did not tremble, and the French dominated. "It is the match that marked my birth into international soccer,” Kimpembe says.
"Since the age of six…[Kimpembe] had only one goal in mind: to play for Paris Saint-Germain."
In 2018, the athlete made his first appearance with the French national team, having also played in the Congo. He then triumphed alongside France in Russia. Kimpembe’s name has expanded beyond soccer: the athlete was name-checked in a single by Vegedream as "Maestro Kimpembe;" and he was a voice actor in the French dub of animated hit Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. In June 2020, he launched his streetwear collection, PK3 Paris. Though Kimpembe wasn’t able to compete alongside his teammates at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to an injury, he wished the rest of the team luck. “I have confidence in you and I will always be your first supporter," he said.
GROOMING Stano
POST PRODUCTION Emil Andonov
