Melvine Marie Ericka Malard (; born 28 June 2000) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for English Women's Super League club Chelsea and the France national team.
Early life Melvine Marie Ericka Malard was born on 28 June 2000 on the island of Réunion, an overseas department and region of France near Madagascar and Mauritius. She has a sister. As a child, Malard participated in a number of sports—including karate, judo, and handball—before trying football.
Youth career Malard began playing football around the age of six or seven, and joined Saint-Denis FC, on her native island of Réunion. She initially played as a central defender, and then a midfielder, before assuming the role of striker.
At the age of 14, while playing at INF Clairefontaine, Malard was spotted by the former French international Sonia Bompastor, who was working as Lyon's head of youth development. A few months later, Malard moved to mainland France in order to join Lyon.
Club career
Lyon, 2017–24
2017–18 In July 2017, shortly after her 17th birthday, Malard signed her first professional contract with Lyon. On 24 May 2018—though not named to the final matchday squad—Malard was a part of the Lyon team to win the 2017–18 Champions League.
2018–19 On 18 May 2019, Malard lifted her second Champions League title with Lyon as they defeated Barcelona 4–1. In doing so, she achieved a continental quadruple: the Division 1 Féminine, Coupe de France Féminine, Trophée des Championnes, and Champions League.
2019–20 For the 2019–20 season, Malard was sent on loan to FC Fleury 91. In January 2020, UEFA named Malard as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe. She returned to parent club Lyon ahead of the 2019–20 Champions League final, and appeared as a substitute in the team's victory over VfL Wolfsburg.
2021–22 In the 2021–22 season, Lyon's first with Sonia Bompastor as Lyon's head coach, Malard contributed 17 goals in 35 competition appearances. She cored the first ever Women's Champions League group stage goal following the restructuring of the competition ahead of the season. Malard won the 2021–22 Champions League with Lyon, starting the final against Barcelona in a 1–3 win. Aged 23, it was her fourth Champions Leagues title.
Loan to Manchester United, 2023–24 On 15 September 2023, Malard joined Women's Super League (WSL) side Manchester United on loan for the 2023–24 season. On 10 October 2023, Malard scored United's first ever Champions League goal. She was named Manchester United's Player of the Month for October 2023. During her loan spell, she won the Women's FA Cup with United, the team's first major trophy, and scored five WSL goals.
Manchester United, 2024–26 On 12 July 2024, Malard joined Manchester United on a contract that would run until 2027. Upon joining United permanently, she said "Here I felt loved."
Chelsea, 2026– On 20 July 2026, Malard signed for Chelsea on a four-year contract. The reported fee—£850,000—marked a club record for Manchester United. In joining Chelsea, she reunited with Bompastor, her former head coach at Lyon, and the scout who brought her to the French side. Malard made her competitive debut for Chelsea in the first-leg of their Champions League qualifier against Real Sociedad, and scored twice in the team's 5–2 victory. Having suffered a minor injury during training, Malard was unavailable for Chelsea's first two league games of the season (a 1–1 draw to Aston Villa and a 5–0 victory over her former club Manchester United). On 8 September 2026, she was nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin. On 19 September 2026, Malard made her league debut for Chelsea, coming on as a second-half substitute and scoring her first WSL goal for the side.
International career
On 18 September 2020, Malard made her debut for the France national team in a 2–0 victory against Serbia. She scored her first international goals against Kazakhstan on 26 October 2021, scoring in the 38th and 54th minute.
Malard was part of the France squad that won the 2022 Tournoi de France.
Malard was part of the France squad announced for the UEFA Euro 2022. She scored during the tournament, scoring against Iceland in the 1st minute and winning the Player of the Match award on 18 July 2022.
Personal life In February 2026, Malard announced her engagement to her partner, Justine. The pair became engaged in Mexico, and married on 23 June 2026.
Malard has named Marta, Dzsenifer Marozsán, and Ronaldinho as her favourite football players.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsLyon2017–18D1F0000—10—102018–192010—10—402019–200000—1000102020–2120300—64—2672021–22201320—134—35172022–2316311—84103682023–240000—000000Total581941003012109332Fleury (loan)2019–20D1F10310———113Manchester United (loan)2023–24WSL195513021—297Manchester United2024–251745141——2662025–262162030144—4010Total5715122101165009523Chelsea2026–27WSL3200—32—64Career total1283917310149191020562
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsFrance20202020216220221342023102024202025114202664Total4114
Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Malard goal. + List of international goals scored by Melvine MalardNo.DateCapVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 26 October 2021 7 Astana Arena, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan 4–0 5–0 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification2 5–03 16 February 2022 9 Stade Océane, Le Havre, France 2–0 5–0 2022 Tournoi de France4 25 June 2022 12 Stade Pierre Brisson, Beauvais, France 1–0 4–0 Friendly5 18 July 2022 16 New York Stadium, Rotherham, England 1–0 1–1 UEFA Women's Euro 20226 6 September 2022 20 Stade Louis Dugauguez, Sedan, France 3–1 5–1 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification7 20 June 2025 28 Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes, France 2–0 5–0 Friendly8 4–09 5–010 28 October 2025 34 Stade Michel d'Ornano, Caen, France 1–0 2–2 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League Finals11 3 March 2026 36 Tallaght Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland 1–1 2–1 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification12 2–113 5 June 2026 40 Gdańsk Stadium, Gdańsk, Poland 1–0 2–0 14 9 June 2026 41 Stade des Alpes, Grenoble, France 1–0 1–0
Honours Lyon Division 1 Féminine: 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23 Coupe de France: 2018–19, 2022–23 UEFA Women's Champions League: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22 Trophée des Championnes: 2019, 2022, 2023
Manchester United Women's FA Cup: 2023–24
France U19 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship: 2019
France Tournoi de France: 2022
Individual UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship Golden Boot: 2019 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2019
References
External links