Belgian star Axel Witsel has joined Nice on a free transfer and will wear the number 28 jersey.

Nice officially announced on Tuesday that Axel Witsel has joined from Girona on a free transfer. The two sides signed a contract until the end of the 2026/27 season, with an option to extend for another year.

The official announcement also confirmed that Witsel will wear the number 28 jersey at Nice.

The 37-year-old Witsel is the midfield core of Belgium's "Golden Generation" and played a crucial role in his country's third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup. He has made 140 appearances for Belgium to date, including three European Championships (2016, 2021, 2024) and four World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026).

At the club level, Witsel also achieved great success. He played for Standard Liège, Benfica, Zenit St. Petersburg, Tianjin Quanjian, Borussia Dortmund, and Atlético Madrid, making a total of 734 appearances, scoring 94 goals and providing 50 assists. He won two Belgian First Division titles, one Belgian Cup, two Belgian Super Cups, one Russian Premier League title, one Russian Cup, two Russian Super Cups, one Portuguese League Cup, one German Cup, and one German Super Cup.

In the 2025/26 season, Witsel made 32 appearances for Girona in La Liga. Although he scored 1 goal and provided 2 assists, he ultimately failed to lead the team to avoid relegation.

After completing the transfer, Witsel could not hide his joy and excitement: "I am very happy to join Nice. I have been following the club and even had contact with them a few years ago. After the club's management and coach contacted me, I knew I had to come. We hit it off immediately. I am in good physical condition and still full of energy. I have come with a humble attitude and am eager to help the team have a successful season and bring the club back to the top. I can't wait to get into training, feel the passion of the Nice fans, and experience Ligue 1."

Nice president Maurice Cohen was also thrilled with Axel's arrival: "We welcome Axel to the team. He is an excellent player with both skill and a championship mentality. More importantly, despite receiving offers from other clubs, he quickly made it clear that he wanted to join us. He will undoubtedly become one of the team's leaders. We warmly welcome him!"

Image source: Internet/Nice official website