Junior Castello Lukeba (born 17 December 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.
Club career Lyon Lukeba was born in Lyon. Having joined the Lyon Academy in 2011, Lukeba signed his first professional contract with the club on 1 July 2021. He made his professional debut for Lyon on the 7 August 2021 as a starter against Brest on 2021–22 Ligue 1 opening round. He played full 90 minutes during the match but it eventually ended in a 1–1 draw. Lukeba made his European football debut on 25 November 2021 on a 3–1 against Brøndby in 2021–22 UEFA Europa League group stage. He scored his first goal for the club on 22 December 2021 against Metz with a header, assisted by Rayan Cherki with a cross following a corner. In January 2022, he extended his contract until 2025.
RB Leipzig On 11 August 2023, Lukeba moved to the Bundesliga club RB Leipzig for a total reported fee of €34 million, signing a five-year contract. Lukeba repeatedly emphasised his excitement and eagerness to join RB Leipzig, saying: "I was extremely keen on joining RB Leipzig and moving to the Bundesliga, so I’m really happy that the move is now complete. I’m excited by the training ground, the stadium, the city and, above all, the team with all the young players – I can’t wait to play football here." He made his debut for Leipzig on 19 August 2023 in a 3–2 loss against Bayer Leverkusen, being substituted on for Nicolas Seiwald in the 62nd minute. He scored his first goal for RB Leipzig in a 2–2 draw against Bayern Munich on 30 September 2023.
International career Born in France, Lukeba is of Angolan descent. He decided to represent France at the international level and received his first call up in France U-21 in November 2021, where he joined his club mates Maxence Caqueret, Rayan Cherki, and Malo Gusto.
On 9 October 2023, Lukeba received his first call-up to the France national team for matches against the Netherlands and Scotland, replacing the injured Axel Disasi.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsLyon B2020–21CFA 270———702021–22CFA 220———20Total90———90Lyon2020–21Ligue 10000——002021–22Ligue 12420060—3022022–23Ligue 134240——382Total5844060—684RB Leipzig2023–24Bundesliga3212070004112024–25Bundesliga2303050—3102025–26Bundesliga26130——2912026–27Bundesliga201010—40Total83290130001052Career total1496130190001826
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsFrance202310Total10
Honours RB Leipzig DFL-Supercup: 2023
France U23 Summer Olympics silver medal: 2024
Orders Knight of the National Order of Merit: 2024
References
External links
Profile at the RB Leipzig website