Paris Saint-Germain midfielder and French national team player, Warren Zaïre-Emery has arrived in Rwanda for a two-day visit in line with Visit Rwanda’s partnership with the French Ligue 1 club.
The 17-year old player is the youngest scorer in Paris Saint-Germain’s history and represents the new generation of PSG players. He was recently selected for the senior France National Team, breaking yet another record of being the youngest player to be selected for Les Bleus since 1914.
Warren’s visit is the second visit of a PSG First Team Player following the visit in 2022 by Sergio Ramos, Keylor Navas, Julian Draxler and Thilo Kehrer.
Since the launch of the partnership in 2019, PSG Legends Youri Djorkaeff, Raí, Ludovic Giuly, Juan Pablo Sorin, Pauleta and, most recently, Bernard Lama, have also experienced the hospitality and beauty of the “Land of a Thousand Hills”.
The visiting young Parisian midfielder, who is also a product of the PSG Elite Youth Academy, will meet with players from Rwanda’s PSG academy shortly after his arrival, and continue on to tour the country’s Northern Province where he will trek the majestic mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat, as well as enjoy a lakeside experience onboard the new Kivu Queen Uburanga boat. He will visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to pay respects to the victims and learn more about the Genocide against the Tutsi and Rwanda’s history.
On his arrival at the Kigali International Airport, Warren Zaïre-Emery said:
I am very happy to represent Paris Saint-Germain during this trip. It is an incredible opportunity to discover the beauty Rwanda has to offer and promote the country. As a player who came up from the PSG Elite Youth Academy, I am delighted to be able to meet the young players of the PSG Academy in Rwanda.
Francis Gatare, Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Development Board, said:
We are delighted to welcome Warren Zaïre-Emery and the PSG staff to Rwanda. This visit marks another milestone in our already strong partnership, aimed at promoting Rwanda as a leading tourism and investment destination in Africa. We are confident that his visit will inspire young football talent in Rwanda to strive for greater achievements, just as he has done for his club and country. Through this visit we aim to showcase Rwanda’s unparalleled touristic beauty, hospitality and national heritage.
Visit Rwanda is a Premium Partner of PSG since 2019, and the partnership was renewed last year for another three years through 2025. The partnership is built around three main pillars: cultural and artistic synergies, the promotion of tea and coffee and football development.
In 2021, Paris Saint Germain, in partnership with Visit Rwanda, inaugurated a PSG Academy in Huye with the PSG Legend: Raí, in Rwanda’s Southern Province. The academy has a mission to train future talents and encourage Rwandan youngsters to play football. In 2023, PSG Academy Rwanda was crowned champions of the PSG Academy World Cup after defeating Brazil in both the U11 and U13 categories.
Warren Zaïre-Emery is a 17-year-old PSG midfielder and French International. He grew up in the Paris region, where he began his youth career. At the age of 8, he joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he completed his formation before joining the professional team.
On 6 August 2022, at the age of 16, he became the youngest player in history to play for Paris Saint-Germain.
In the history of the French national team, he became their youngest player and scored a goal on 18 November 2023, making him the youngest goal scorer ever.
Visit Rwanda is the tourism-focused arm of the Rwanda Development Board, a government body responsible for fast-tracking Rwanda’s economic development by enabling private sector growth. Visit Rwanda works with local conservation, tourism, and development partners to generate tourism products that benefit inbound tourists, local communities, and wildlife ecosystems. (End)