Gilbert Meriel

{{Short description|Tahitian footballer (born 1986)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gilbert Meriel

| image =

| full_name = Gilbert Meriel{{cite web|title=Squad lists for the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013|url=https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/02/10/38/80/fcclop_neutral.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612002515/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/02/10/38/80/fcclop_neutral.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 12, 2013|publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)|accessdate=20 June 2013|format=PDF|date=7 June 2013}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|11|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Tahiti

| height = 1.86 m

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub = A.S. Vénus

| clubnumber = 1

| youthyears1 = 1995–2000

| youthclubs1 = A.S. Vénus

| youthyears2 = 2000–2003

| youthclubs2 = Angers

| youthyears3 = 2003–2006

| youthclubs3 = Carquefou

| years1 = 2006–2008

| clubs1 = Carquefou

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2010–2011

| clubs2 = A.S. Tefana

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 2011–2014

| clubs3 = AS Central Sport

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| clubs4 = A.S. Vénus

| caps4 =

| goals4 =

| years4 = 2014–

| nationalyears1 = 2011–

| nationalteam1 = Tahiti

| nationalcaps1 = 4

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update =

| nationalteam-update = 20:16, 23 June 2013 (UTC)

| medaltemplates = {{medalSport|Men's football}}

{{Medal|Country|{{fb|TAH}}}}

{{MedalComp|Pacific Games}}

{{Medal|3rd|2011 New Caledonia|}}

}}

Gilbert Meriel (born 11 November 1986) is a soccer player from Tahiti who plays for A.S. Vénus and for the Tahiti national team. He was part of the Tahitian squad at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Meriel started playing soccer at the age of nine on Tahitian club A.S. Vénus. Five years later, he went to France to join the youth academy at Angers, where he stayed for three years. While in France, Meriel also played for US Jeanne d'Arc Carquefou competing in the lower leagues, before returning home at 18. Upon his return home Meriel, like many of his national team colleagues, was forced to get another job and become a semi-professional athlete. Metiel earned a bachelor in economy and administration, becoming an auditor for consulting group KPMG.{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/players/player=360634/profile.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=July 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618010234/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/players/player%3D360634/profile.html |archivedate=June 18, 2013 }}

On the Confederations Cup, Meriel had his first cap as the starting goalkeeper for Tahiti's in the squad's final game against Uruguay in Recife. While Tahiti lost 8-0, Meriel was applauded once he saved a penalty kick from the eventually sent-off Andres Scotti.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23022840 |title=Confederations Cup: Tahitian delight at penalty save |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2013-06-23 |accessdate=2016-06-24}}{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/matches/round=255199/match=300222465/summary.html |title=FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013: Uruguay 8:0 (4:0) Tahiti - Summary |accessdate=July 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804205409/http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/matches/round%3D255199/match%3D300222465/summary.html |archivedate=August 4, 2013 }}