Defender · #5
Maxence Lacroix
France · 6'3" · 26
His role
Lacroix anchors the middle of the back three. He stays home when the outside centre-backs advance, tracks the striker and attacks crosses. His pace also gives Chelsea cover behind a high defensive line.
His story
- 01Record
He won Crystal Palace the first two major trophies in their history
Crystal Palace bought Lacroix for £18m in 2024. He played every minute when they won the 2025 FA Cup, the first major trophy in the club's history, and every minute again when they won the 2026 Conference League, their first European prize. Chelsea paid £52m that summer for a defender who had just helped Palace rewrite its honours list twice.
- 02Drama
He scored after four minutes and was sent off after 57
Four minutes into Crystal Palace's March 2026 visit to Manchester United, Lacroix headed his team in front. In the 57th minute, he brought down Matheus Cunha as the last defender and was shown a straight red card. United scored twice against the ten men, turning his afternoon from match-winner to the centre of a 2-1 defeat.
- 03Off the pitch
Son of a nurse and a doctor
Lacroix grew up in Ajat, a small village in the Dordogne, far from the usual production lines of elite French football. His father is Guadeloupean and works as a doctor; his Malagasy mother is a nurse. He has also spoken openly about the Christian faith that remains central to his life.
Career
Wolfsburg2021
Crystal Palace2024–2026
Chelsea2026–
