# Kurt Zouma
**Kurt Zouma** (born 1994 in Lyon) is a French professional footballer who plays as a center-back, currently for [Palm City FC](https://www.edgepedia.org/palm-city-fc) in the [United Arab Emirates](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-arab-emirates)' second division. Zouma is best known for seven and a half seasons at Chelsea, where he won two Premier League titles and the 2021 Champions League, and for helping West Ham United win the 2023 [UEFA Europa Conference League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-conference-league) under captain Declan Rice[15](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/65840666). He has 11 caps and 1 goal for the France national team.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Lyon (Rhône), France; right-footed defender, 190 cm, 85 kg[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/8679-zouma-kurt/fiche.html) |
| Chelsea | January 2014 to August 2021; 151 appearances, 10 goals; two Premier League titles (2015, 2017), League Cup 2015, Champions League 2021, UEFA Super Cup 2021[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham) |
| West Ham | Signed 28 August 2021 for £29.8m on a four-year deal; club captain from September 2023; Conference League winner 2023[3](https://www.skysports.com/kurt-zouma) • [4](https://www.whufc.com/news/zouma-captaincy-european-success-and-west-ham-family) |
| France | Senior debut 29 March 2015 (France 2-0 Denmark); 11 caps, 1 goal; part of the France squad that won the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/8679-zouma-kurt/fiche.html) • [4](https://www.whufc.com/news/zouma-captaincy-european-success-and-west-ham-family) |
| Playing style | Physical, aerially dominant stopper; topped the CIES Football Observatory heading table with 26 of 27 defensive aerial duels won (96.3%) in 2020-21[5](https://football-observatory.com/Best-heading-defenders-Zouma-at-the-top-Maguire-2515) |
| Legal case | June 2022: 180 hours of community service and a five-year ban on keeping cats after pleading guilty to kicking and slapping his pet cat[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61657176) |
| Current club | Palm City FC (UAE Second Division), signed July 2026, after spells at Al-Orobah, CFR Cluj, and Al-Wasl[7](https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Mercato-kurt-zouma-rejoint-le-palm-city-fc-club-de-deuxieme-division-aux-emirats-arabes-unis/1703833) |
## Early career at Saint-Étienne
Zouma joined [AS Saint-Étienne](https://www.edgepedia.org/as-saint-etienne)'s youth setup in 2009 from FC Vaux-en-Velin, a club he had played for since 2003, and broke into the first-team squad at 16 under manager [Christophe Galtier](https://www.edgepedia.org/christophe-galtier)[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/8679-zouma-kurt/fiche.html) • [8](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/european/kurt-zouma-how-the-chelsea-defender-flew-under-the-radar-of-french-champions-psg-10099232.html). Galtier later recalled that his established center-backs asked within fifteen days whether they should worry for their places once Zouma was included[8](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/european/kurt-zouma-how-the-chelsea-defender-flew-under-the-radar-of-french-champions-psg-10099232.html).
In 2013 Zouma received a 10-match ban for a tackle that broke the leg of Sochaux midfielder Thomas Guerbert[8](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/european/kurt-zouma-how-the-chelsea-defender-flew-under-the-radar-of-french-champions-psg-10099232.html). The same year he was part of the France team, alongside [Paul Pogba](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-pogba) and [Florian Thauvin](https://www.edgepedia.org/florian-thauvin), that won the [FIFA U-20 World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-u-20-world-cup) in Turkey[8](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/european/kurt-zouma-how-the-chelsea-defender-flew-under-the-radar-of-french-champions-psg-10099232.html). He also won the Coupe de la Ligue with Saint-Étienne in 2013[9](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/kurt-zouma/212119).
## Chelsea
Chelsea signed Zouma in January 2014, with the fee reported at £12m by The Independent and £12.5m by FourFourTwo, while [Sky Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-sports) lists £18.0m; he stayed at [Saint-Étienne](https://www.edgepedia.org/saint-etienne) on loan for the rest of that season[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham) • [8](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/european/kurt-zouma-how-the-chelsea-defender-flew-under-the-radar-of-french-champions-psg-10099232.html) • [10](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/pepe-experiment-pays-mourinho-new-desailly-zoumas-better-back) • [3](https://www.skysports.com/kurt-zouma). Paris Saint-Germain, whose two first-choice center-backs cost a combined £80m, had not pursued him, and Monaco had shown more interest[8](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/european/kurt-zouma-how-the-chelsea-defender-flew-under-the-radar-of-french-champions-psg-10099232.html).
His competitive debut in September 2014, at 19, saw him open the scoring in a 2-1 League Cup win over Bolton Wanderers[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham). In the 2015 League Cup final at Wembley, deployed as a central defensive midfielder two days after being told of the role, he starred in a 2-0 win over [Tottenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/tottenham); manager Jose Mourinho compared him, unprompted, to Chelsea and France legend [Marcel Desailly](https://www.edgepedia.org/marcel-desailly)[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham) • [8](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/european/kurt-zouma-how-the-chelsea-defender-flew-under-the-radar-of-french-champions-psg-10099232.html). A first Premier League title followed at the end of a first campaign in which he made 26 appearances in all competitions and debuted for France[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham).
Zouma established himself as a first-choice center-back in 2015/16 and scored his maiden Premier League goal in a home win over Arsenal[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham). In February 2016 he ruptured his cruciate ligament landing awkwardly after contesting an aerial duel against Manchester United, and it was over 10 months before he featured for Chelsea again[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham).
After the 2016/17 season he took season-long loans at Stoke City and then Everton to rebuild regular playing time, returning to Chelsea's squad for 2019/20, when his 43 appearances in all competitions were 15 more than any other Chelsea center-back[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham). In 2020/21, under [Thomas Tuchel](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-tuchel), he made 36 appearances, 13 after Tuchel's arrival, and played five times in the Champions League-winning campaign, including the clean-sheet home win over [Atlético Madrid](https://www.edgepedia.org/atletico-madrid) in the round of 16; he was an unused substitute in the final in Porto[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham). His 151st and final Chelsea appearance came in the [UEFA Super Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-super-cup) win in August 2021[2](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham).
## West Ham United
Zouma moved across London to West Ham United on 28 August 2021 for £29.8m on a four-year deal[3](https://www.skysports.com/kurt-zouma). He overcame injuries and off-field issues to become an influential figure on the pitch and in the dressing room, and manager David Moyes named him club captain in September 2023[4](https://www.whufc.com/news/zouma-captaincy-european-success-and-west-ham-family).
His performances were central to West Ham's 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League triumph, the club's first major trophy in 43 years, won by beating Fiorentina 2-1 in Prague on 7 June 2023; Zouma started the final and was replaced by Thilo Kehrer in the 61st minute[4](https://www.whufc.com/news/zouma-captaincy-european-success-and-west-ham-family) • [11](https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/news/0282-1833ad184f9c-3bd42a7f4d8e-1000--report-west-ham-win-europa-conference-league/). He remained a regular through the 2023/24 season, making 33 Premier League appearances and appearing in the Europa League[12](https://www.premierleague.com/players/5175/Thilo-Kehrer/overview).
## Animal cruelty conviction
In February 2022 a video filmed by his brother Yoan showed Zouma kicking his Bengal cat across his kitchen, throwing shoes at it, and slapping its head[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61657176). After an RSPCA investigation, Zouma pleaded guilty to two offenses under the Animal Welfare Act at Thames Magistrates' Court, and on 1 June 2022 he was sentenced to 180 hours of community service under a 12-month community order, banned from keeping cats for five years, and ordered to pay nearly £9,000 in court costs[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61657176). Yoan, who filmed and posted the video on Snapchat, received 140 hours[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61657176).
West Ham fined Zouma £250,000, the maximum available to the club, and donated the money to animal welfare charities; he also lost a sponsorship deal with adidas[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61657176).
## International career
Zouma made his senior France debut on 29 March 2015 in a 2-0 friendly win over Denmark and scored his only international goal in a 4-0 European Championship qualifying win over Andorra on 11 June 2019[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/8679-zouma-kurt/fiche.html). Of his 11 caps, 6 were starts, and his last appearance came on 16 November 2021 in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win in Finland[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/8679-zouma-kurt/fiche.html). He was in the France squad for Euro 2020 but did not play[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/8679-zouma-kurt/fiche.html).
## Playing style
Zouma is a physical stopper whose strength is defending in the air. In the 2020/21 season the CIES Football Observatory ranked him first among heading defenders in Europe's major leagues, with 26 of 27 defensive aerial duels won, a 96.3 percent success rate[5](https://football-observatory.com/Best-heading-defenders-Zouma-at-the-top-Maguire-2515). At West Ham in 2022/23 he won 83.9 percent of his aerial duels and 69.77 percent of all duels[13](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/3149490). Analysts have noted his limitations on the ball and in one-on-one defending against quick, direct attackers, which made him a better fit in sides that defend deep than in possession-heavy systems[10](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/pepe-experiment-pays-mourinho-new-desailly-zoumas-better-back).
## Later career
After leaving West Ham, Zouma played for Al-Orobah SC in Saudi Arabia from September 2024 to June 2025, then joined CFR Cluj in Romania in September 2025, leaving in January 2026 over unpaid wages and terminating his contract[7](https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Mercato-kurt-zouma-rejoint-le-palm-city-fc-club-de-deuxieme-division-aux-emirats-arabes-unis/1703833). He signed for Al-Wasl in the UAE first division in February 2026, then joined Palm City FC, a club founded in October 2023 and newly promoted to the Emirati second division, in July 2026[7](https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Mercato-kurt-zouma-rejoint-le-palm-city-fc-club-de-deuxieme-division-aux-emirats-arabes-unis/1703833).
Zouma was born in France to parents who emigrated from the Central African Republic, and he holds Franco-Central African nationality[4](https://www.whufc.com/news/zouma-captaincy-european-success-and-west-ham-family) • [14](https://www.equipe-france.fr/football/kurt-zouma).
## References
1. [Kurt ZOUMA, Fédération Française de Football](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/8679-zouma-kurt/fiche.html)
2. [Kurt Zouma leaves Chelsea for West Ham, Chelsea FC](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/kurt-zouma-leaves-chelsea-for-west-ham)
3. [Kurt Zouma, Player Profile, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/kurt-zouma)
4. [Zouma on captaincy, European success and the West Ham family, West Ham United F.C.](https://www.whufc.com/news/zouma-captaincy-european-success-and-west-ham-family)
5. [Best heading defenders: Zouma at the top, CIES Football Observatory](https://football-observatory.com/Best-heading-defenders-Zouma-at-the-top-Maguire-2515)
6. [West Ham's Kurt Zouma given 180 hours of community service for kicking and slapping his pet cat, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61657176)
7. [Mercato : Kurt Zouma rejoint le Palm City FC, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Mercato-kurt-zouma-rejoint-le-palm-city-fc-club-de-deuxieme-division-aux-emirats-arabes-unis/1703833)
8. [How Kurt Zouma flew under the radar of PSG to end up at Stamford Bridge, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/european/kurt-zouma-how-the-chelsea-defender-flew-under-the-radar-of-french-champions-psg-10099232.html)
9. [Kurt Zouma, joueur de football, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/kurt-zouma/212119)
10. [Pepe experiment pays off for Mourinho, but 'new Desailly' Zouma's better off at the back, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/pepe-experiment-pays-mourinho-new-desailly-zoumas-better-back)
11. [Fiorentina 1-2 West Ham: Bowen arrows Hammers to Europa Conference League final glory, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/news/0282-1833ad184f9c-3bd42a7f4d8e-1000--report-west-ham-win-europa-conference-league/)
12. [Kurt Zouma Defender, Profile & Stats, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/players/5175/Thilo-Kehrer/overview)
13. [Zouma has the game to handle Jesus threat, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/3149490)
14. [Kurt Zouma, footballeur de l'équipe de France, Équipe-France](https://www.equipe-france.fr/football/kurt-zouma)
15. [Follow West Ham's Europa Conference League trophy parade](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/65840666)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe › French footballers born before 1995 › Surnames Le to Z*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license