An in-depth look into our sixth winter recruit, Eliot Matazo…
Born in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium, to a Congolese Malagasy father and Kenyan mother, Eliot Matazo’s first professional football club was Anderlecht in 2009. While at Anderlecht, the midfielder earned his first caps for Belgium at Under-16s.
Named captain by Bob Browaeys for his first of 12 caps at that level in September 2017 in a 1-1 draw against Hungary, the midfielder captained the side seven times, three of them coming in wins over Japan, U.A.E and Northern Ireland.
Ahead of the 2018/19 season, Matazo left Anderlecht to join Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, first joining their Under-19 set-up. Making his UEFA Youth League debut for Monaco in a 2-0 group-stage win over Borussia Dortmund in October 2018, the 2019/20 campaign saw the now-22-year-old feature in the Monaco B team in the fourth tier of French football, making his debut in August 2019 against Hyères 83 FC.
Featuring 14 times in the Championnat National 2, the midfielder also netted in the third round of the Coupe Gambardella, winning 4-1 away at Nîmes Olympique Under-19s and earned all three of his Belgium Under-18 caps. Winning his first cap in a 3-0 victory over Georgia in September 2019, the midfielder also started against the Netherlands and captained the side in a 3-3 draw against Czechia.
The following campaign saw a breakout for Matazo with the Monaco first team. After being an unused substitute in Ligue 1 fixtures against Stade Reims and Stade Rennais, he made his first-team debut when coming on as a substitute in a 3-2 win over RC Strasbourg in September 2020.
Playing a further four times in Ligue 1 and featuring twice in the Coupe de France, Matazo recorded his first senior assist in a 4-0 win over FC Metz in April 2021 before netting his first goal a month later in a 1-0 victory over Stade Reims. An unused substitute in the 2021 Coupe de France final defeat against PSG, Matazo ended his breakout campaign with 14 senior outings, scoring once and assisting once.
The 2021/22 season saw the midfielder take his first steps into European competition. Featuring in the Champions League third qualifying round stage in a 3-1 second-leg win over Sparta Prague, Matazo played five times in the Europa League as Monaco reached the round of 16 stage.
Featuring a total of 22 times in Ligue 1 and Coupe de France combined, recording one assist in a 2-0 win over Red Star FC in the fifth round of the latter tournament, Matazo also made his Belgium Under-21s debut. In September 2021, the 22-year-old played the final 27 minutes of a 3-0 win over Türkiye before earning further caps against Kazakhstan, Denmark (twice) and Scotland.
Twenty-nine appearances came for the midfielder in the 2022/23 season, with three coming in the Europa League and 23 in Ligue 1, scoring in a 2-2 draw away at Nantes in April 2023. The midfielder also earned a further seven caps for Belgium Under-21s, playing in the 2023 European Under-21 Championship in Romania and Georgia.
Recording an assist in the opening Ligue 1 match of the 2023/24 season in a 4-2 win over Clermont Foot, Matazo featured six times for Monaco before earning a further five caps for Belgium Under-21s. A muscle injury sidelined the midfielder, with him joining Belgian Pro League side Royal Antwerp in February 2024 on loan for the remainder of the season.
Making his debut for the Reds 16 days after joining as a late substitute in a narrow home defeat against KV Mechelen, the midfielder featured three times in the regular Jupiler Pro League as well as the second leg of the semi-finals of the Croky Cup, a game Antwerp won 3-0 to send them to the final.
Scoring his first goal for the club in the final game of the Champions’ play-offs in Belgium, a 3-1 win over Anderlecht, the midfielder also started the 2024 Croky Cup final, a game Union Saint-Gilloise won 1-0.
Playing a further three times for Belgium Under-21s to take his total tally to 22 caps, Matazo played seven matches this season for Monaco. An unused substitute in the 2025 Trophée des Champions final loss to PSG, the midfielder featured three times in Ligue 1, once in the Coupe de France, and three times in the Champions League this season. His third Champions League appearance came in a group stage fixture away at Arsenal in December 2024, coming on in the 81st minute as the Gunners won 3-0 at Emirates Stadium.