Vicki Jessy Bècho Desbonne (born 3 October 2003) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Première Ligue club Lyon and the France national team.

Vicki Bècho
Personal information
Full name Vicki Jessy Bècho Desbonne
Date of birth (2003-10-03) 3 October 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Montreuil, France
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Lyon
Number 27
Youth career
2011–2015 SC Malay-le-Grand
2015–2016 FC Sens
2016–2020 Paris Saint-Germain
2020 Lyon
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020 Paris Saint-Germain 0 (0)
2020– Lyon 41 (7)
2021–2022Reims (loan) 13 (1)
International career
2019 France U16 5 (3)
2019–2020 France U17 4 (2)
2019–2022 France U19 11 (5)
2019–2022 France U20 12 (3)
2022– France U23 6 (2)
2023– France 18 (2)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  France
UEFA Women's Nations League
Runner-up 2024
UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
Winner 2019 Scotland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 April 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 October 2024

Early life

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Vicki Jessy Bècho Desbonne[1] was born on 3 October 2003 and grew up in Montreuil, France.[2]

Bècho first started playing football in secret, as her mother did not approve of girls playing football. One day her aunt took her mother to watch her play and she was so impressed that she was happy to let her continue.[3] Her idols were Cristiano Ronaldo and Lucho González. She would watch videos of Ronaldo before a match, and had a pair of Gonzalez' signed boots.[4]

Club career

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Bècho played for SC Malay de Grand after being spotted by Ali Ben Ahmed, a coach at the club. She played until the U12 category and then joined FC Sens in 2015, joining the U13s. Then, in 2016, at 15, Becho joined the Paris Saint-Germain Academy.[5][3]

She signed for Lyon from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020.[6]

She signed on loan to Reims in 2021.[7]

Bècho scored her first goal for Lyon in a Coupe de France match against Rodez on 7 January 2023.[8]

International career

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Bècho was called up for qualifiers for the 2019 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship, playing all three matches and scoring against Northern Ireland and the Czech Republic.[9][10][11] In the same year, she scored three goals for France at the 2019 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, including one against Norway[12] and a brace to help France beat Spain in extra time in the semi-finals.[13] She was the first 15-year-old to score at the tournament since Ada Hegerberg in 2011.[14]

Bècho was also called up for 2022 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship qualification, playing against Greece and the Republic of Ireland, scoring against the latter.[15][16] She then represented France at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, where she was named player of the match for their last group stage game against Korea Republic.[17]

Bècho was one of three Lyon players called up to the France under-23 squad for two friendly matches against the United States in February 2023.[18]

Bècho was named to the French team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup,[19] and was the youngest player in the squad.[20] She made her senior international debut at the tournament, coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute in a scoreless draw against Jamaica on 23 July.[21] She set up Eugénie Le Sommer's goal against Morocco in the round of 16.[22] On 2 August she scored in Les Bleues' winning match against Panama.[23] She was named by FIFA as one of the tournament's "rising stars", along with the likes of Lauren James, Linda Caicedo, and Esmee Brugts, who had "created a lasting impact on the tournament".[24] Despite hitting the post in her 12th spot kick in an extended penalty shoot-out (Australia-France 7-6),[25] Bècho was praised for her performance "blazing a trail down [the] right hand side"[26]

International goals

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No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 2 August 2023 Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia   Panama 6–3 6–3 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
2. 16 July 2024 Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland   Republic of Ireland 1–2 1–3 UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying

Style of play

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Seen as a highly promising player, Bècho has "lots of potential", technique and talented finishing, with huge quality in both feet, with power and precision in her shots.[27] She is also known for her speed.[23]

Before France's 2023 World Cup game against Australia on 13 August, Bècho was named by The Guardian football journalist Jack Snape as one of "four France players who can break Australian hearts at the World Cup", along with Renard, Diani, and Le Sommer.[22]

Personal life

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Bècho and teammate in the national team Laurina Fazer are almost inseparable friends, and are nicknamed "Tic et Tac" on account of their closeness.[23]

Honours

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PSG In February 2020, Bècho won the first ever Women's Golden Titi, an honorary trophy for rewarding the best player at the PSG training center.[28]

Other honours awarded while she was at PSG were:

Lyon

France

References

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  1. ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: France (FRA)" (PDF). FIFA. 11 July 2023. p. 10. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Vicki Bècho". eurosport.com. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b Ruszkai, Ameé (21 August 2022). "Vicki Becho: The 'rare' France & Lyon teen inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo". Goal.com Australia. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Vicki Becho - The 'rare' France & Lyon teen inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo". www.goal.com.
  5. ^ "Vicki Becho, championne d'Europe U19 et passée par le FC Sens, vue par son ancien entraîneur Abdoulaye Bah". www.lyonne.fr. 30 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Signature : Benyahia, Sombath, Becho et Maoulida signent professionnel". Olympique Lyonnaise.
  7. ^ "Vicki Becho prêtée au Stade de Reims". www.ol.fr. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Premier but en professionnel avec l'OL pour Vicki Becho". Olympique Lyonnaise. 8 January 2023.
  9. ^ "France Under 17s vs Northern Ireland Under 17s - 23 March 2019". uk.soccerway.com.
  10. ^ "France Under 17s vs Czech Republic Under 17s - 26 March 2019". uk.soccerway.com.
  11. ^ "France Under 17s vs Portugal Under 17s - 29 March 2019". uk.soccerway.com.
  12. ^ "France U19 vs Norway U19 - 22 July 2019 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  13. ^ "France U19 vs Spain U19 - 25 July 2019 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  14. ^ "Ten women's players to watch in 2021". www.uefa.com. 3 January 2021.
  15. ^ "France Under 19s vs Greece Under 19s - 6th April 2022". uk.soccerway.com.
  16. ^ "France Under 19s vs Republic of Ireland Under 19s - 9th April 2022". uk.soccerway.com.
  17. ^ "TSG salute Becho, Matsukubo, Onyenezide and Rijsbergen". FIFA.
  18. ^ "Sélection : trois jeunes fenottes en Equipe de France U23". www.ol.fr.
  19. ^ "Les vingt-trois bleues retenues pour la coupe du monde". 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  20. ^ "Vicki Becho, the super joker of the Bleues who started football in secret". Archysport. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  21. ^ "2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Group F - France 0-0 Jamaica". FIFA. 23 July 2023.
  22. ^ a b Snape, Jack (9 August 2023). "Four France players who can break Australian hearts at the World Cup". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  23. ^ a b c "Women's World Cup: Vicki Becho, striker for the France team, is going too fast and the Bleues take advantage of it". DayFR Euro. 5 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  24. ^ "Relive the goals scored by FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ rising stars". FIFA. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  25. ^ "Australia beat France in penalty shootout thriller to reach World Cup semis". Al Jazeera. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  26. ^ Peacock, Adam (12 August 2023). "Peacock: Exquisite torture of Australia's greatest moment". Codesports. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  27. ^ "10 top young women's soccer players". www.redbull.com. 22 February 2023.
  28. ^ "[Titi d'Or feminin 2019] Vicki Becho, premiere Titi Girl sacree!". www.lestitisdupsg.fr. 7 February 2020.
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