Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

A Georgian footballer. A world-class winger who led Napoli to the Serie A title and then moved to PSG.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Overview

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (크비차 크바라트스켈리아, born 12 February 2001) is a professional footballer from Tbilisi, Georgia, who plays as a winger. He plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France's Ligue 1 and the Georgia national team, and has risen to the ranks of the world's top wingers with explosive dribbling, bold one-on-one take-ons, and a sharp left-footed shot. He showed such dominance in Italy's Serie A that Napoli fans gave him the nickname “Kvaradona,” and he is also a national hero who drove Georgia's first-ever qualification for the UEFA European Championship (Euro) finals and their first-ever round of 16 appearance.

Main content

Youth career and debut

Born in Tbilisi, Kvaratskhelia started football in childhood under his father's influence. He passed through Dinamo Tbilisi's youth academy, but after failing to get enough opportunities in the club's youth system, he moved to Metalurgi Rustavi and made his debut in Georgia's Erovnuli Liga in 2017 at age 16. The following year, 2018, he recorded double-digit goal contributions in the Georgian first division and rapidly emerged as a next-generation prospect.

Rubin Kazan period

In 2019 he moved to Rubin Kazan of the Russian Premier League, stepping onto a major European league stage for the first time. After an adaptation period in his first season, in 2020-21 he secured playing time close to every league match and established himself as a key attacking asset for the team, and was evaluated as a “surprise star” in Russia for his characteristic aggressive dribbling and defensive contribution. In 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to the suspension of foreign players' contracts, he left Kazan and moved to Dinamo Batumi in Georgia, where he played briefly.

SSC Napoli and prime years

After moving to SSC Napoli of Italy's Serie A in the summer of 2022, he shook the league from his first season. In the 2022-23 season he recorded 12 goals and 13 assists in 34 matches, leading Napoli to their first Scudetto (league title) in 33 years, and was selected as the league's most valuable player (MVP). With his performances echoing the No. 10 shirt left by Diego Maradona, fans called him “Kvaradona.” He then led the team's attack in the 2023-24 season as well, exerting a steady influence in UEFA Champions League play, and was Napoli's ace until the first half of the 2024-25 season.

Transfer to Paris Saint-Germain

In January 2025, Kvaratskhelia opened a new chapter in his career by moving to Paris Saint-Germain for a transfer fee of about €70 million (including options). From immediately after joining, he quickly adapted to coach Luis Enrique's wide attacking tactics, and contributed to the 2024-25 Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France title, and the club's first-ever UEFA Champions League trophy, becoming a key figure in a treble in his first year after the transfer.

Georgia national team

As a symbolic figure for the Georgia national team, he led his country to the finals of UEFA Euro 2024, their first-ever major tournament finals. At the tournament they produced an upset by beating Portugal in the group stage and advanced to the round of 16; although they lost to Spain in the round of 16, his performances throughout the tournament, unsettling opposing defenses, earned him a place among candidates for the Team of the Tournament and greatly raised his international profile.

Playing style

Although his dominant foot is his right, he plays as a left winger, and his signature weapons are long-striding dribbling, sudden changes of direction, and his characteristic curled shot after an “inside cut.” Thanks to his ability to draw two or three defenders with his take-ons, he is also strong in link-up play that creates space for fellow attackers, and his forward pressing and willingness to contribute defensively are highly regarded. However, the frequent fouls he draws and the risk of injury in physical duels are sometimes cited as weaknesses.

Recent developments

Having achieved a treble with Paris Saint-Germain in the 2024-25 season, Kvaratskhelia was selected as the team's starting winger for the 2025-26 season as well, forming one of Europe's strongest attacks alongside Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, and others. He is being mentioned as a Ballon d'Or candidate beyond Ligue 1 and the Champions League, moving toward the peak of his personal career, and with the Georgia national team he is challenging for a new goal: first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup finals through the European qualifiers for the 2026 North American World Cup. In the transfer market he is constantly mentioned as a target of big clubs, but based on his long-term contract with PSG he is classified as a key part of the team's long-term project.