Marten-Chris Paalberg (born 8 October 2008) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a forward for French club Saint-Étienne and the Estonia national team.
Early life Paalberg was born on 8 October 2008 in Pärnu, Estonia. The son of Katri and Andres, he started playing football at the age of six.
Club career Paalberg spent his entire youth career at Pärnu Vaprus before making the step up to the club's first team in 2024. He made his Premium Liiga debut on 19 May 2024 against FCI Levadia at the age of 15. During the 2025 season, Paalberg established himself as one of the league's breakout players while being 16 years old. He scored 15 league goals and became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Estonian top division. His performances attracted interest from several foreign clubs, including clubs from Premier League and Serie A.
On 2 February 2026, Paalberg signed with Saint-Étienne in French Ligue 2 for a reported transfer fee exceeding €1 million, making him the most expensive outgoing transfer in Estonian league history.
International career After representing Estonia at youth level, Paalberg received his first senior call-up during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign in October 2025. He made his senior international debut on 14 October 2025 in a 1–1 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Moldova, coming on as a substitute at the age of 17 years and 5 days old.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueEstonian CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsVaprus2024Meistriliiga3022—522025Meistriliiga251510—2615Career total281532—3117
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsEstonia202530Total30 Honours Individual Meistriliiga Player of the Month: August 2025, September 2025
References
External links