Eric Bailly

Espanyol

Born in Bingerville, Bailly joined Espanyol's youth system in December 2011, aged 17. Bailly was spotted by Espanyol's Emilio Montagut after taking part in a youth tournament in Burkina Faso, organised by Spanish company Promoesport. Some records of that time erroneously list his name as Eric Bertrand (his middle name misinterpreted as his paternal surname). He only received a work permit in October of the following year, and made his senior debut in the 2013–14 campaign with the reserves, in Segunda División B. On 5 October 2014, Bailly made his first-team – and La Liga – debut, coming on as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win against Real Sociedad. He was promoted to the main squad shortly after.

Villarreal

On 29 January 2015, Bailly signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with fellow La Liga team Villarreal for a €5.7 million fee, mainly as a replacement to Arsenal-bound Gabriel Paulista. He made his debut for the Yellow Submarine on 22 February, starting in a 1–0 home win against Eibar. On 19 March, Bailly made his UEFA Europa League debut, starting and being sent off in a 2–1 away loss against Sevilla On 18 October 2015, Bailly was sent off shortly after the interval in a 2–1 loss to Celta Vigo at the Estadio El Madrigal. He made seven appearances as the team reached the last four of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League; on 22 October he scored his first career goal and only one for the team, to conclude a 4–0 home group win over Dinamo Minsk.

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On 29 December 2014, Bailly was included in Hervé Renard's 23-man squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. He made his debut on 11 January 2015, in a friendly against Nigeria, and appeared in all six matches during the competition as his side were crowned champions. He was again named in the Elephants' squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, playing the entirety of all three matches in a campaign which ended in the group stage. On 12 October 2018, Bailly scored his first international goal in a 4–0 win over the Central African Republic in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Stade Bouaké. The following April he suffered a knee injury, ruling him out of the finals in Egypt. On 3 July 2021, Bailly was selected as one of the designated overaged players in the Ivory Coast Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Bailly made his Olympics debut in a 2–1 win against Saudi Arabia on 22 July. He made four appearances in the tournament and scored one goal, in a quarter-final defeat against Spain. At the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, held at the start of the following year in Cameroon, Bailly suffered a head injury at the end of a 2–2 draw with Sierra Leone in the second game, thereby missing the third against Algeria. He wore a scrum cap in the goalless last 16 match against Egypt and was the only player to miss in the penalty shootout, with his shot being saved by substitute goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal.

Club

As of match played 30 August 2026

International

As of match played 15 October 2024

As of match played 15 October 2024 Ivory Coast score listed first, score column indicates score after each Bailly goal.

Manchester United

EFL Cup: 2016–17 FA Community Shield: 2016 UEFA Europa League: 2016–17; runner-up: 2020–21 FA Cup runner-up: 2017–18 Ivory Coast

Africa Cup of Nations: 2015 Individual

CAF Team of the Year: 2016, 2017, 2018 UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016–17 IFFHS CAF Men's Team of the Decade 2011–2020