Malo Gusto’s rugby roots and the moment he chose football | OneFootball

Malo Gusto, France’s World Cup right-back, was raised on rugby before choosing football in a family garden moment.

According to L'Équipe, his father Philippe, a rugby enthusiast, enrolled him at Avenir XV near home, and from seven he relished the sport alongside capoeira and athletics.

He was described as combative, enjoying contact and reading the game well. Those years taught him teamwork, commitment and intensity, and a tournament at Bourgoin sharpened his taste for competition.

After his final rugby season he took out his gumshield and made up his mind, telling his father in the garden that he wanted football. At 10 he joined AS Villefontaine, spending three seasons before Bourgoin came calling again, this time for football.

Gusto says football always felt more natural, the game he played at school and on local pitches. Street sessions helped, and starting late did not hold him back. He began his professional journey at Olympique Lyonnais and now plays for Chelsea.

Nearly 14 years on from that decision, he will be in Boston on Friday at 21:00 as France face Norway at the World Cup. He has 12 caps before the match.

Source: L'Équipe