Matvey Safonov

Matvey Yevgenyevich Safonov (also spelled Matvei Safonov; ; born 25 February 1999) is a Russian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Russia national team. He has been described by media sources as a penalty specialist.

Coming through the team's youth system, Safonov began his career with FC Krasnodar in 2017. After seven years with Krasnodar, Safonov moved to Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain in June 2024 for a transfer fee of €20 million, where he won the UEFA Champions League as part of a treble in 2025. After winning the starting spot in the following season, Safonov won another Champions League as part of a double in 2026.

Internationally, Safonov made his debut for Russia in 2021, and was subsequently included in the Russian squad for UEFA Euro 2020.

Personal life Safonov was born in Stavropol.

As a child, Safonov initially practised swimming, taekwondo, and basketball, also showing aptitude in mathematics and chess. Aged 12, he participated in the Mathematical Kangaroo competition, placing second in his school. He joined a football section while at school and was placed in goal during his first trial.

From 2020 to 2021, he was married to Anastasia Kazachek, with whom he had been in a relationship since 2014. In June 2021, the couple had a daughter, Maya . Following the child's birth, the couple separated. In 2024, the court ordered Safonov to pay alimony equal to a quarter of his income and repay his debt.

Since the beginning of 2022, he has been in a relationship with stand-up comedian Marina Kondratyuk. They got married in March 2025.

Club career Krasnodar 2017–2021 Safonov made his debut in the Russian Premier League for Krasnodar on 13 August 2017 in a game against Amkar Perm. He became a regular member of Krasnodar's first team during the second half of the 2018–19 season, when the club finished third in the league. At the end of 2019, Safonov and his teammate Magomed-Shapi Suleymanov shared the national award "First Five", given to the best young player in the Russian Premier League.

In the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League play-off round, Safonov helped Krasnodar reach the competition's group stage for the first time. In the first leg against PAOK on 22 September 2020, he saved an early penalty from Dimitrios Pelkas as Krasnodar won 2–1. Krasnodar won the return leg by the same score on 30 September, securing a group stage promotion. On 20 October 2020, he was named the man of the match in Krasnodar's 1–1 draw with Rennes. By 2021, Safonov was also wearing the captain's armband for Krasnodar.

Krasnodar finished third in their Champions League group, qualifying for the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League play-off round. Despite this European run, the 2020–21 season proved difficult domestically, as Krasnodar dropped to tenth place in the league with Safonov conceding 33 goals in 21 matches.

2021–2024 The 2021–22 season was marked by the departure of many foreign players from the club following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Despite the upheaval, Safonov remained as captain and recorded eight clean sheets in 27 league matches, conceding just 27 goals. Krasnodar finished fourth that season. In his final 2023–24 season with Krasnodar, Safonov played all 30 league matches as the club finished second in the league. In his final match for the club on 25 May 2024, he kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Dynamo Moscow, securing Krasnodar's first-ever silver medals in the Russian championship. In total, Safonov made 175 official appearances for Krasnodar's first team, recording 53 clean sheets. Media reports quoted a transfer fee of €20 million. On 18 September 2024, he made his debut for PSG in a 1–0 Champions League win over Girona. On 22 December 2024, Safonov played in the Coupe de France round of 64 against Lens; after a 1–1 draw, he saved two penalties in the shoot-out as PSG advanced. On 24 May 2025, he started in the 2025 Coupe de France final, keeping a clean sheet as PSG defeated Reims 3–0. Following his team's 5–0 victory over Inter Milan in the 2025 UEFA Champions League final on 1 June, he became the fifth Russian Champions League winner since Denis Cheryshev, Igor Dobrovolski, Vladimir But and Dmitri Alenichev--the first since 2016.

2025–26 season: Earning the starting spot On 12 August 2025, PSG's starting goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma left the club to join Manchester City for a fee of €30 million. Having provoked this departure, PSG signed Lucas Chevalier from Lille for €40 million on 9 August 2025 to be their new first-choice goalkeeper. However, Chevalier struggled to adapt, receiving criticism for errors, including against Marseille and Lyon. On 31 August 2025, PSG's new Ukrainian signing Illia Zabarnyi stated in an interview with Football 360 that "I do not maintain any personal relations with any Russians. I have to interact with [Safonov] on a professional level during training and fulfil my obligations to the club." On 29 November 2025, Chevalier suffered an ankle injury against Monaco, allowing Safonov to temporarily take the starting position. On 17 December 2025, in the Intercontinental Cup final against Flamengo, Safonov saved four of five penalties in the penalty shoot-out. Consequently, Paris Saint-Germain won their first global title and sixth trophy of the 2025 calendar year. Manager Luis Enrique later revealed that Safonov had fractured his hand on the third penalty kick, and saved the last two shots despite the injury.

In January 2026, Chevalier conceded two goals in a 1–2 defeat to Sporting CP in the Champions League. Enrique then opted to test Safonov immediately after his return as the starter against Newcastle United in the final matchday of the Champions League league phase. From that point on, Safonov retained the starting position, playing in Le Classique against Marseille, the Champions League play-off round against Monaco, and other Ligue 1 matches. On 17 March 2026, Safonov delivered an exceptional performance in the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, making nine saves in a 3–0 victory (8–2 on aggregate). In the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Liverpool, he kept a clean sheet with six saves, helping PSG reach the semi-finals. After the match, Safonov said: "it was a decent performance. There were a few mistakes, but I'm happy. I can do better. I have to be ready for the team whenever they need me." On 6 May 2026, in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, Safonov made five decisive saves as PSG drew 1–1 to progress 6–5 on aggregate, reaching their second consecutive final. On 30 May 2026, in the 2026 UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal, Safonov became the first Russian goalkeeper and the second Russian ever, after Dmitri Alenichev in the 2004 final, to play a UEFA Champions League final. The match ended in a penalty shoot-out, after which PSG won its second consecutive Champions League on penalty shoot-out. On 11 May 2021, he was included in the preliminary extended 30-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He debuted on 1 June in a friendly match against Poland, and next day, he was included in the final squad for the Euros. On 16 June, he played in Russia's second group game against Finland, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 victory. He played again on 21 June in the last group game: a 1–4 defeat to Denmark.

Style of play In February 2026, Safonov's manager at Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique, stated: "He can play with his feet, which we like. He's courageous and physically very strong. The way we defend, I think, we leave a lot of space for our opponents, and that creates a real danger. But I think he's perfectly suited to our approach." Safonov has also been acclaimed for his proficiency in saving penalties.

Career statistics Club

International

Honours Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1: 2024–25, 2025–26 Coupe de France: 2024–25 Trophée des Champions: 2024 UEFA Champions League: 2024–25, 2025–26 UEFA Super Cup: 2025, 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup: 2025 FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2025

Individual First Five award: 2019 Lev Yashin Goalkeeper of the Year: 2021–22, FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final Man of the match: 2025