Michy Batshuayi

Standard Liège

Born in Brussels to Congolese parents, Batshuayi had a nomadic youth career with spells at Evere, Schaarbeek, Brussels (twice) and Anderlecht before he joined Standard Liège. Batshuayi made his debut for the senior team on 20 February 2011 in a 4–1 loss away to Gent, replacing Franck Berrier for the last seven minutes. Six days later, he made his only other appearance of the Belgian Pro League season, filling in for Aloys Nong in the last minute of a 3–0 victory against KV Mechelen at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne. On 21 July, Batshuayi was an unused substitute in the 2011 Belgian Super Cup, a 1–0 loss to Gent. On 15 December, he scored his first professional goal, the only one away to Copenhagen in the last match of Group B during the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage, advancing his team into the knockout stages. Six days later, he added two more in a 2–1 win at Lierse in the quarter-final first leg of the Belgian Cup, although his side lost 5–4 on aggregate. He scored his first league goal on 14 January 2012 to round off a 6–1 home win over Germinal Beerschot, and ended the campaign with six. He was sent-off as a substitute in a 3–2 loss at Genk on 22 April for stamping on the chest of Jeroen Simaeys, for which the Royal Belgian Football Association suspended him for four matches. Batshuayi was again sent-off on 25 September 2012 in a 3–2 win at Mouscron in the sixth round of the Belgian Cup, having elbowed Benjamin Delacourt within the first…

Batshuayi was eligible to play for the DR Congo national team through his parents, but in March 2015, he ruled out this option, stating that although his Congolese heritage is important to him, he would rather represent Belgium. Batshuayi made his international debut for Belgium on 28 March 2015 in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Cyprus. Replacing Christian Benteke in the 77th minute, he scored from outside the penalty area three minutes later to seal a 5–0 victory at home. He was selected for the final tournament in France, making his competition debut in the last 16 against Hungary in Toulouse on 26 June. With his first touch, he finished Eden Hazard's assist for the second goal of a 4–0 victory. In Belgium's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, Batshuayi scored once in a 4–3 win away to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 7 October 2017, with the Red Devils already assured of their place in the final tournament. Manager Roberto Martínez named him in the 23-man squad to go to Russia. In their second group stage match, he came on as a 68th-minute substitute against Tunisia and missed several chances before finally scoring the fifth goal for Belgium in a 5–2 victory. Despite a difficult club season, on 17 May 2021, Batshuayi was included in the final 26-man squad for the re-arranged UEFA Euro 2020. He was also called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring the only goal of the team's opener on 23 November against Canada; Belgium scored no further goals in a group…

A December 2015 profiling by FourFourTwo likened Batshuayi for his speed, strength, positioning and link-up play to Didier Drogba.

Batshuayi is nicknamed "Batsman" a play on the name of the superhero Batman. His younger brother Aaron Leya Iseka plays professional football in the same position, coming through at Anderlecht and signing for Marseille on loan, one month after Batshuayi's exit.