Melvyn Richardson

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Melvyn Richardson

| image = Melvyn Richardson 20180301.jpg

| nationality = French

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|1|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Marseille, France

| height = 1.90 m

| position = Right back

| currentclub = FC Barcelona

| clubnumber = 66

| youthyears1 = 2005–2015

| youthclubs1 = Chambéry SMBH

| years1 = 2015–2017

| clubs1 = Chambéry SMBH

| years2 = 2017–2021

| clubs2 = Montpellier Handball

| years3 = 2021–2025

| clubs3 = FC Barcelona

| years4 = 2025–

| clubs4 = Wisła Płock

| nationalyears1 = 2017–

| nationalteam1 = France

| nationalcaps1 = 106

| nationalgoals1 = 260

| ntupdate = 8 February 2025

| medaltemplates =

}}

Melvyn Richardson (born 31 January 1997) is a French professional handball player for FC Barcelona and the French national team.{{cite web|url= https://www.eurohandball.com/en/player/S5f5Fn00DQvOgE0IIrQcTQ/melvyn-richardson/ |title=Profile|publisher=European Handball Federation|accessdate=4 July 2021}}[https://www.lnh.fr/liquimoly-starligue/joueurs/melvyn-richardson Melvyn Richardson]

He is the son of retired French handball player Jackson Richardson.{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurohandball.com/article/025549/Melvyn+Richardson+making+a+name+for+himself|title=European Handball Federation – Melvyn Richardson making a name for himself / Article|website=www.eurohandball.com|language=en|access-date=19 January 2019}}

Career

In 2021 he joined Spanish top team FC Barcelona.{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-1-70-129719.html|title=Montpellier wechselt doppelt im Rückraum - Richardson geht zum FC Barcelona|date=2021-02-06|publisher=handball-world.news|access-date=2021-02-06|language=de}} Here he won the 2022 and 2024 Champion Leagues and the Liga ASOBAL, Copa ASOBAL and Copa del Rey every season at the club.

From the 2025-26 season he will join the Polish team Wisła Płock.{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/wisla-plock-verpflichtet-champions-league-mvp-1037748|title=Wisla Plock verpflichtet Champions-League-MVP|date=2024-07-12|publisher=handball-world.news |access-date=2024-07-12|language=de}}

=National team=

Melvyn Richardson debuted for the French national team on June 17th, 2017 against Belgium.{{cite web |url=https://www.handzone.net/Home/Actu.aspx?actID=62815 |title=Melvyn Richardson vers Montpellier, Dolenec vers Barcelone |publisher=handzone.net |date=10 January 2017 |access-date=9 March 2023|language=fr}} His first major international tournament was the 2019 World Championship.{{cite web|url=https://competition.ihf.info/sites/default/files/competitions/226654de-f6a5-40ac-bc6c-bfdbfd5f8b28/pdf/FRA.PDF |title=26th Men's World Championship 2019 - France], |publisher=International Handball Federation|website=ihf.info|access-date=16 January 2019}}

In September 2021 he won Olympic gold medals at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. For this he was made a knight of the French Legion of Honour..{{cite web |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000044033349 |title=Décret du 8 septembre 2021 portant promotion et nomination dans l'ordre national de la Légion d'honneur |publisher=legifrance.gouv.fr |language=fr |access-date=2022-02-02 }}

At the 2024 European Championship he won a second gold medal with French team. He played 8 matches and scored 16 goals.{{cite web |url=https://res.ehf.eu/doxtore/TLCEQLGQDD/aWJqnOpQtsdci2TqI54ItQBahSJS-wffQ8ZHaKchcvU |title=EHF Euro 2024: Cumulative Statistics France |publisher=European Handball Federation|website=eurohandball.com |language=en |access-date=2024-01-29}} At the 2025 World Championship he won a bronze medal, losing to Croatia in the semifinal and beating Portugal in the third place playoff.{{cite web|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2025-02-02-sindssyg-afslutning-paa-dramatisk-bronzekamp|title=Sindssyg afslutning på dramatisk bronzekamp|publisher=TV2 Danmark|first=Oliver|last=Orup Kristensen|date=2 February 2025|accessdate=2 February 2025|language=da|trans-title=Insane finish to bronze match}} He played all 9 games, scoring 30 goals.{{cite web |url=https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/competitions/7c2253d6-1efd-4495-b237-6171c39fac97/pdf/FRATOTAL.PDF |title=IHF World Championship 2025: Cumulative Statistics France |publisher=International Handball Federation|website=ihf.info |language=en |access-date=2025-02-03}}