Yves Bissouma

Early career

Born in Issia, Ivory Coast, Bissouma trained at the prestigious Majestic SC academy in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, an academy partnered with JMG Academy in Bamako, Mali. At age 13, he was scouted to the academy in Mali, trained there for five years, where he played with future Mali international Adama Traoré. At age 18, he joined Real Bamako.

Lille

Bissouma caught the attention of French scouts in the African Nations Championship in February 2016. On 7 July 2016, four months after having arrived at Lille, he signed his first professional contract with the club, with a duration of three years. He made his Ligue 1 debut in the sixth fixture, a 2–1 home loss to Toulouse on 20 September, and scored his first goal the following 11 February in a game of the same result against Angers, though he was also sent off and suspended for two games. In March 2017, while on 13 games and one goal, his contract was extended to June 2021.

Brighton and Hove Albion

On 17 July 2018, Bissouma transferred to English side Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee, signing a five-year contract with the club. He made his debut for the Sussex club on the opening day of the 2018–19 Premier League season in a 2–0 away loss to Watford where he came on as a substitute. He made his first start in Brighton's third match of the season, a single-goal defeat at Liverpool. On 5 January 2019, Bissouma scored his first Albion goal on his FA Cup debut in a 3–1 away win against…

Born in the Ivory Coast and moving to Mali aged 13 to pursue a professional football career, Bissouma participated at the 2016 African Nations Championship with Mali. In the semi-final against the Ivory Coast, he was brought on as a substitute in the 76th minute and scored the only goal of the game, in the 89th minute. They went on to lose in the final against DR Congo. Bissouma was chosen for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. He scored a direct free kick to equalise in a 1–1 draw with Uganda in the last group game, which was not enough to make the knockout rounds. Bissouma was named in Mali's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations to be played in January 2022. He made an appearance in the first match on 13 January, coming on as a 59th-minute substitute, replacing Adama Traoré, in a controversial 1–0 victory over Tunisia, with the referee blowing for full-time early on two occasions. Bissouma played in all four of Mali's matches as they were knocked out via penalties against Equatorial Guinea in the round of 16 on 26 January. On 11 December 2025, Bissouma was called up to the Mali squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Club

As of match played 3 May 2026

International

As of match played 9 January 2026

Scores and results list Mali's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bissouma goal.

Bissouma has been banned from driving in the United Kingdom on two occasions due to repeated speeding offences in 2019 and 2021. On 6 October 2021, Sussex Police arrested him on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman. He was led out of The Arch, a nightclub in Brighton, in handcuffs. He was released on bail. On 29 June 2022, Bissouma was cleared of all allegations. In June 2024, Bissouma was the victim of a robbery in front of the Hotel Majestic (Cannes) in the South of France. The footballer and his girlfriend had stopped in a car in front of their hotel when two hooded men came running up. Bissouma tried to take refuge inside the hotel, however, the attackers sprayed him with tear gas, before seizing his watch that was valued at €300,000. In August 2024, Tottenham suspended Bissouma from the opening match of the next Premier League season. The reason was a video posted on Snapchat in which the footballer inhaled nitrous oxide, a Class C controlled drug under UK law, from a balloon.