Castello Lukeba Explained

Castello Lukeba
Full Name:Castello Junior Lukeba[1]
Birth Date:17 December 2002
Birth Place:Lyon, France
Height:1.84 m[2]
Position:Centre-back
Currentclub:RB Leipzig
Clubnumber:23
Youthyears1:2009–2011
Youthclubs1:Saint-Genis Laval
Youthyears2:2011–2021
Youthclubs2:Lyon
Years1:2020–2021
Clubs1:Lyon B
Caps1:9
Goals1:0
Years2:2021–2023
Clubs2:Lyon
Caps2:58
Goals2:4
Years3:2023–
Clubs3:RB Leipzig
Caps3:32
Goals3:1
Nationalyears1:2018–2019
Nationalteam1:France U17
Nationalcaps1:6
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2021
Nationalteam2:France U20
Nationalcaps2:1
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2022–
Nationalteam3:France U21
Nationalcaps3:15
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2024
Nationalteam4:France Olympic
Nationalcaps4:10
Nationalgoals4:0
Nationalyears5:2023–
Nationalteam5:France
Nationalcaps5:1
Nationalgoals5:0
Club-Update:23:40, 21 May 2024 (UTC)
Nationalteam-Update:20:50, 9 August 2024 (UTC)

Castello Junior Lukeba (born 17 December 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and the France national team.

Club career

Lyon

Having joined the Olympique Lyonnais Academy in 2011, Lukeba signed his first professional contract with the club on 1 July 2021.[3] 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.[4] Lukeba made his European football debut on 25 November 2021 on a 3–1 against Brøndby IF 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.[5] In January 2022, he extended his contract until 2025.[6]

RB Leipzig

On 11 August 2023, Lukeba moved to the German club RB Leipzig for a total reported fee of €34 million,[7] signing a five-year contract.[8] 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."[9] 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 62 minute.[10] He scored his first goal for RB Leipzig in a 2–2 draw against Bayern Munich on 30 September 2023.[11]

International career

Born in France, Lukeba is of Angolan descent.[12] 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.[13]

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.[14]

Career statistics

Club

Club!rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lyon B2020–21CFA 27070
2021–22CFA 22020
Total9090
Lyon2020–21Ligue 1000000
2021–22Ligue 12420060302
2022–23Ligue 134240382
Total5844060684
RB Leipzig2023–24Bundesliga321207000411
2024–25Bundesliga00100010
Total321307000421
Career total99570130001195

International

Honours

RB Leipzig

France U23

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Men's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024: Squad list . 4 . . 24 July 2024 . 24 July 2024 .
  2. Web site: Castello Lukeba . Olympique Lyonnais . 9 March 2023 .
  3. Web site: First professional contracts for Lukeba, Lega and Bossiwa; Nsombi signs a development deal . www.OL.fr.
  4. Web site: Résultat et résumé OL - Brest, Ligue 1 Uber Eats, 1re journée, samedi 07 août 2021. L'Équipe.
  5. Web site: Après OL – Metz : L'ascension de Castello Lukeba . Olympique Lyonnais . fr . 23 December 2021 .
  6. Web site: Prolongation de Castello Lukeba jusqu'en 2025 . Olympique Lyonnais . fr . 3 January 2022 .
  7. Web site: 11 Aug 2023 . Transfer of Castello Lukeba to RB Leipzig . 2023-10-11 . www.ol.fr . Olympique Lyonnais.
  8. Web site: RB Leipzig. CASTELLO LUKEBA JOINS RB LEIPZIG. 11 August 2023. 11 August 2023.
  9. Web site: 2023-08-11 . Castello Lukeba joins RB Leipzig: long-term contract . 2023-10-11 . rbleipzig.com . en.
  10. Web site: Sofascore . Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig live score, H2H and lineups Sofascore . 2023-10-12 . www.sofascore.com . en.
  11. Web site: RB Leipzig 2-2 Bayern Munich (30 Sep, 2023) Final Score - ESPN (UK) . 2023-10-12 . ESPN . en.
  12. Web site: França: Castello Lukeba estreia a titular na principal liga francesa. 9 August 2021.
  13. Web site: Olympique Lyonnais. Castello Lukeba surgit après une progression constante. www.leprogres.fr.
  14. Web site: Presse . AFP-Agence France . Lukeba Called In For Injured Disasi By France . 2023-10-09 . www.barrons.com . en-US.
  15. Web site: Lisjak . Mitja . Olmo s hat-trickom pokvaril veliki debi Kana pri Bayernu . . 12 August 2023 . sl . 12 August 2023.
  16. News: Ronay . Barney . 9 August 2024 . Camello’s extra-time double clinches football gold for Spain against France . 9 August 2024 . The Guardian . 0261-3077.