Yohan Cabaye

Early career

Cabaye began his football career playing for hometown club Tourcoing FC. He started out at the club at the age of six. Cabaye, initially, did not meet the age requirement to enter the club's youth academy, however, due to his father working at the club at the time, he was allowed entrance into the club's academy. Cabaye spent several years developing at the club and, after excelling in youth games, gained the attention of professional club Lille. In July 1998, he signed youth papers with Lille and was inserted into the club's academy. Cabaye developed quickly in the club's academy and, by the 2003–04 season, was playing on the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. Cabaye appeared in ten matches and scored one goal in his first season with the team. In the next season, Cabaye rotated between the reserve team and the first team. He played in 15 matches and scored two goals with the reserve team helping the team finish in 2nd place in its group, which resulted in qualification to the league playoffs.

Lille

2004–2008

Ahead of the 2004–05 season, Cabaye signed his first professional contract with Lille agreeing to a three-year deal. He trained with the team in the pre-season and participated in the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup, which Lille won, appearing in four matches. Cabaye was called up to the senior team for the first time under coach Claude Puel in November 2004. He made his…

Youth

Cabaye is a former French youth international having represented his nation internationally at under-16, under-18, under-19, under-20, and under-21 level. He earned his first call-up at international level in August 2001 at a training camp headed by Pierre Mankowski. Cabaye earned his first selection on 26 September 2001 in a 4–0 win over Iceland. He was later selected to appear in the Tournoi du Val-de-Marne. France won the competition. Cabaye was called up to the under-18 team by coach Jean Gallice on 5 March 2004 as a replacement for the injured Yoann Gourcuff for matches in Germany. He was selected for the team on 9 March in a 1–1 draw with Germany at the Hardtwaldstadion in Sandhausen. Cabaye appeared in the next five matches with the team, which included victories over Scotland, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic in the Slovakia Cup, a youth international tournament catered to under-18 players. At under-19 level, Cabaye was an early call-up to the team. He was selected for the team's first match of the season against Turkey, which France won 2–1. In first round qualification for the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Cabaye appeared in two group stage matches. He scored his first youth international goal on 30 September 2004 in qualification against Azerbaijan in a 3–0 victory. France later reached the tournament and Cabaye participated in the competition, which was held in Northern Ireland. Cabaye appeared in four of the five matches France contested…

Ahead of the 2021–22 season, Cabaye joined the youth academy of Paris Saint-Germain, his former club, as a sporting coordinator.

Cabaye was born in the northern commune of Tourcoing in the department of Nord. His father, Didier, is a former football player who now works in the health care field in the city of Roubaix. At the age of 16, Cabaye's father played for professional club Lens and spent a year there training before a double leg fracture abruptly ended his career at the club. After healing, he spent time playing for amateur clubs Stade Jean-Macé and US Tourcoing. The two clubs later merged to form Tourcoing FC. Cabaye has a younger brother, Geoffrey, who has played football in the lower divisions of the French and Belgian leagues, most notably with Tournai and Wasquehal. He is of Vietnamese descent through his paternal grandmother, and has stated he would like to visit the country, possibly to contribute to the development of football there. He later attended one of Vietnam's matches during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Cabaye is a Roman Catholic.