YoussoufFofana

Youssouf Fofana was born in Paris, to a family of Ivorian and Malian origin, on 10 January 1999 and developed footballing-wise between Red Star and Drancy. His first major breakthrough, however, came in the Strasbourg youth setup, the club with which he turned professional in August 2018 and won his first trophy, the 2018/19 League Cup. He spent a total of two and a half seasons in Alsace, also gaining Europa League experience and making a total of 41 professional appearances with four goals. A classic "box-to-box" midfielder, he stands out for his physical abilities and athletic intensity in both defensive and build-up phases, while also being able to contribute in attack.

In the January 2020 transfer window Fofana moved from Strasbourg to Monaco, making his debut straight away in the league match against Nîmes. He quickly became a key part of the Monaco midfield, making 175 appearances and scoring 7 goals between 2020 and 2024, also in the Champions League. Thanks to his form in the Principality, Youssouf earned a place in the France senior squad after representing the youth teams: his debut with Les Bleus came in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup, a tournament he played a leading role in, featuring in six of seven matches (including the Final against Argentina). In November 2023, in a Euro 2024 qualifier, he also scored his first international goal: by June 2026 he had 25 caps (and 3 goals) for France. In his first two seasons in Rossonero colours he made his mark in midfield, both in a two-man and three-man setup, making 88 appearances with 3 goals across all competitions.