Rabbi Matondo was born on 9th September 2000 in Liverpool, England. He moved to south-east Wales early in life, and joined the youth setup at Cardiff City, where he rose through the ranks and represented England at U15 level.
In 2016, he moved to Manchester City, and played for their youth teams until 2019 but never managed to break into the first team squad.
Move to Germany and Senior Football
Bundesliga club Schalke 04 signed Matondo from the Citizens in January 2019 for what was reported to be up to £11 million.
Three days later, Matondo made his senior debut in the league at home against Borussia Mönchengladbach, and scored his first goal for Die Knappen on 28 September away against RB Leipzig.
In total, he scored two goals in 32 appearances for Schalke 04 but could never truly settle into the first team squad beyond the 2019-20 season.
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The Two Loan Spells
Matondo returned to England on loan with Championship side Stoke City in January 2021 for the rest of the season. He scored one goal in 11 matches for the Potters.
In August 2021, he joined Belgian club Cercle Brugge on loan for the season. Here, Matondo finally found some form, scoring 10 goals and providing two assists in 27 appearances—of which nine goals and both assists came in 26 Belgian Pro League matches.
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Move to Glasgow with the Light Blues
Rangers Football Club signed Matondo from Schalke 04 in July 2022 for an undisclosed fee. He made his Gers debut against Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Champions League qualifier 20 days later on 2nd August.
“I am absolutely buzzing to have signed for a club as big as Rangers,” said Matondo after joining the Light Blues.
“I am just looking forward to getting on the pitch at Ibrox in front of the amazing fans we have here at Rangers and I am excited.
“This is a big club with a massive history, and I just want to create more memories and more history here at the club.”
Manager Gio van Bronckhorst welcomed Matondo to the club:
“I’m really pleased to welcome Rabbi to Rangers. I spoke last week about my desire to add more attacking quality to my squad, and we all believe Rabbi will do that.
“He will bring many strong attributes to the team, and I am really looking forward to seeing him in training this afternoon for the first time."
Matondo has since scored eight goals and provided 12 assists in 65 matches in all competitions for Rangers. He began the 2024-25 season in form, scoring two goals and providing two assist in four Scottish Premiership appearances but an unfortunate hamstring injury has since kept him out of contention.
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International Career
Matondo—originally eligible for England, Wales, and DR Congo—switched his international allegiance to Wales. He represented the country at U17 and U21 levels, making 15 total appearances.
In November 2018, he was called up to the senior national team, and made his international debut against Albania. He has made 12 total appearances, without scoring any goals, for Wales but has managed to provide one assist.