Manuel Akanji

Youth football and early career

Akanji began his youth career with the local club in Wiesendangen. In May 2007, Akanji changed clubs and was a youth-team player for FC Winterthur, featuring for their under-18 team and later with their second team. In the 2014–15 Challenge League, he became a regular starter for Winterthur, having played two games for them during the second half of the previous season.

FC Basel

On 15 April 2015, it was announced that Akanji would be transferred to FC Basel for the 2015–16 Swiss Super League season. He made his Swiss Super League debut on 26 September 2015 being substituted in against FC Lugano. Under manager Urs Fischer, Akanji won the Swiss Super League championship at the end of the 2015–16 Super League season. Basel then won the 2016–17 Swiss Super League and 2016–17 Swiss Cup double, making it the sixth time the club had achieved this feat in its history. As Swiss Champions, Basel qualified for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League and started in the group stage. Akanji played the full 90 minutes in all six games and helped the team finish second in its group, thus qualifying for the knockout phase.

Borussia Dortmund

Akanji signed for Borussia Dortmund on 15 January 2018 during the winter transfer window for a reported fee of €18 million He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract dated until June 2022. On 2 February, Akanji made his BVB debut as an 87th minute substitute for André Schürrle in a 3–2 win at 1. FC…

Akanji made two appearances for the Switzerland U-20 national team. His debut was on 7 September 2014 in the 0–0 draw against the German U-20 national team. From 2014, he was a member of the Switzerland U-21 team and made his debut for them on 26 March in the 0–3 defeat by the Italian U-21 team. On 9 June 2017, Akanji made his debut for the Swiss senior team in a 2–0 win against Faroe Islands in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match, where he played the entire 90 minutes. He was included in Switzerland's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and started all four of the team's matches as they reached the round of 16. In May 2019, Akanji played in 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, where his team finished fourth. In 2021, he was named in the Swiss squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He started all five of Switzerland's matches as they reached the quarter-finals, scoring his kick as the Swiss beat France in a penalty shootout in the round of 16. However, in the quarter-final against Spain, he was one of three Swiss players to miss their spot kicks in the 4–2 penalty shootout loss. On 24 September 2022, Akanji scored his first senior international goal against Spain in a 2–1 UEFA Nations League victory. Akanji was a member of the Swiss squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and, on 7 December 2022, he scored the only goal for Switzerland in a 6–1 loss to Portugal in the round of 16. On 7 June 2024, Akanji was named in Switzerland's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He played the full match in…

Akanji is known for his cultured style of play, which is characterised by his technical ability, composure on the ball, and excellent passing range. He is also a strong and physical defender who is comfortable in one-on-one situations and is adept at intercepting passes and making tackles. His ability to read the game and make crucial interceptions as well as his calmness under pressure is well known among fans of the Premier League. Akanji's passing ability is also a key part of his game, and he is often involved in building attacks from the back. His long-range passing is particularly noteworthy, and he is capable of playing accurate diagonal balls to switch the play and create space for his teammates. Due to his passing abilities, Akanji has been deployed as both a left-back and right-back, as well as occasionally a libero, much like teammate John Stones, by City manager Pep Guardiola.

Akanji was born in Neftenbach, Switzerland, to a Swiss mother and a Nigerian father. His sister Sarah is a former footballer for FC Winterthur Frauen and a Social Democratic Party of Switzerland politician. In 2017, already a professional player, he completed his vocational training as a tradesman (″Kaufmann″). On Swiss TV in 2018 he showed excellent skills at mental calculation.