One to watch: Rennes' Elias Legendre Quiñonez gets his New Year's wish

Those who follow French football know that you should always keep a close eye on the Rennes academy and who is graduating from it. The latest product goes by the name of Elias Legendre Quiñonez, who netted his first goal for his formative club over the weekend.

Rennes' first 2008 generation pro

Habib Beye has repeatedly evidenced his faith in young players. Players such as Jérémy Jacquet, Mohamed Kader Meité, Djaoui Cissé, and Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal have become regulars under the manager. It is an important facet of the overall strategy at the Breton club, who have recently brought through the likes of Désiré Doué, Eduardo Camavinga, or Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé.

Those coming through the academy have players to aspire to, and the same goes for Legendre Quiñonez. He is the latest player to have risen through the ranks, all the way to the first team. At the club since the age of 13, he signed his first professional contract at the start of December, and in doing so, became the first player born in 2008 to turn pro at Rennes.

Premier but en professionnel ce soir pour Elias Legendre Quiñonez, formé à l'Académie Rouge et Noir 🫡#USCSRFC 1-3 pic.twitter.com/oMzGtoorz4
— Stade Rennais F.C. (@staderennais) January 11, 2026

However, it hasn't always been easy for the forward, born in Ecuador before moving to France at the age of just seven. Speaking upon the signing of his first pro contract, which runs until 2029, he said that his first months at Rennes were "difficult" as he "struggled to respond to the [high] expectations" set at the club's famed academy.

But he did meet them, making his way up through the ranks before catching the eye of Beye, who would bring him into the fold, including him in the matchday squad to face Metz at the end of November, just before the signing of that first deal. He would not make his debut against Les Grenats, that would come against PSG just one week later.

Legendre Quiñonez reveals New year wish

He would come on in the dying stages of the loss (5-0) against the reigning Ligue 1 McDonald's and Champions League champions, but it would provide a springboard for more minutes, firstly against Lille, and then against US Chantilly in the Coupe de France over the weekend.

His New Year's wish is coming true. "What can I wish for in 2026? A bit more game time, because I haven't played too much, and why not tear it all up in 2026?" he said in December, speaking to the club's channels.

Against US Chantilly, he netted his first goal for Rennes, coming off the bench as Les Rouge et Noir turned the tables late on to secure qualification for the Round of 16. When signing his first deal with SRFC, he said that he wanted to "one day come on and score his first goal at Roazhon Park," and that day seems not too far in the distant future. Split between the Ecuador and France international teams, both of whom he has represented at youth level, his heart is Red and Black.

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