Idrissa Gueye

1.1. Childhood and Academy

Born in Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, Idrissa Gana Gueye spent his formative years developing his football talents at Diambars, a renowned football academy in Senegal. This academy was notably established by former French footballers Patrick Vieira and Bernard Lama, providing a strong foundation for Gueye's early career.

1.2. Early Professional Career

Gueye's transition to European football began in August 2008 when he joined French club Lille. He initially played for the club's reserve side, Lille B, making 55 appearances and scoring 2 goals between the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons in the Championnat de France Amateur. He broke into Lille's first team during the 2010-11 season, marking the beginning of his senior professional career. His debut for the senior team was in the 2009-10 Coupe de France, where he made one appearance.

2.1. Lille OSC

Gueye's tenure at Lille was a period of significant growth and success. In the 2010-11 season, he played 11 games as the team secured the Ligue 1 title. He also started in the 2011 Coupe de France Final, which Lille won against Paris Saint-Germain, contributing to a domestic double. Over the subsequent four seasons, Gueye became a regular starter for Lille in both the league and the UEFA Champions League. He scored his first goal for Lille on 17 February 2011 in a UEFA Europa League last 32 first-leg match against PSV Eindhoven, which ended in a 2-2 home draw. His first league goal came on 5 October 2013 in a 3-0 victory over Ajaccio at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. On 21 April 2012, he was sent off in a 2-0 win at Dijon. In total, he made 134 league appearances and scored 5 goals for Lille's senior team.

2.2. Aston Villa

On 10 July 2015, Gueye transferred to English Premier League club Aston Villa for a reported fee of 9.00 M GBP. He made his debut on 8 August in a 1-0 away victory against AFC Bournemouth. His only goal for Aston Villa was scored on 19 January 2016 in a 2-0 FA Cup third-round replay against Wycombe Wanderers. Throughout the season, Gueye made 35 league appearances for Aston Villa, but the club was ultimately relegated from the Premier League.

2.3. Everton (First Spell)

Following Aston Villa's relegation, Everton activated a release clause in Gueye's contract, reportedly valued at 7.10 M GBP, and signed him to a four-year deal on 2 August 2016. During the 2016 calendar year, Gueye recorded the highest number of successful tackles and interceptions per match among players in Europe's top five leagues, solidifying his reputation as a top ball-winning midfielder. He was the first player in Europe's top five leagues to achieve 100 tackles in the 2016-17 season. His first league goal for Everton came on 25 February 2017 in a 2-0 victory over Sunderland at Goodison Park. On 17 August 2017, he scored his first goal for Everton in European competition during a UEFA Europa League play-off round first leg against Hajduk Split. He was sent off on 22 October in a 5-2 home loss to Arsenal. In February 2018, Gueye extended his contract with Everton until 2022. In January 2019, Everton rejected an offer from Paris Saint-Germain for Gueye. Despite the transfer speculation, his performances remained strong, and he was awarded the club's joint Player's Player of the Year for the 2018-19 season, sharing the honor with Lucas Digne. He made 99 league appearances and scored 3 goals during his first spell at Everton.

2.4. Paris Saint-Germain

On 30 July 2019, Gueye signed with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a fee of 30.00 M GBP, agreeing to a four-year contract until June 2023. He made his debut on 25 August in a 4-0 victory over Toulouse. On 18 September, he delivered a "brilliant" performance in a 3-0 UEFA Champions League win against Real Madrid. His first goal for PSG was scored on 5 October in a 4-0 win against Angers.

In his inaugural season in Paris (2019-20), Gueye was part of the team that won a domestic treble, securing the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France, and Coupe de la Ligue. He also reached the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final with the club, though he was an unused substitute in their loss to Bayern Munich. In the 2020-21 season, PSG won the Coupe de France again and reached the Champions League semi-finals, where they were defeated by Manchester City. After receiving a red card in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City in April 2021, which resulted in a two-match suspension, Gueye returned to European action on 28 September 2021. In a 2-0 win over the same opponent, he scored the opening goal, his first in the Champions League, and was named Player of the Match. He made 74 league appearances and scored 6 goals for PSG.

2.5. Everton (Second Spell)

In early August 2022, discussions began for Gueye's return to Everton. He officially rejoined the club on 1 September 2022, signing a two-year contract for a reported fee of 2.00 M GBP. On 19 December 2023, Gueye missed a penalty for Everton in their 2023-24 EFL Cup quarter-final defeat against Fulham. Despite the miss, he and teammate Amadou Onana, who also missed a penalty, were defended by manager Sean Dyche for their character. As of February 2025, he has made 84 league appearances and scored 4 goals in his second spell with Everton.

3.1. Debut and Early Tournaments

Gueye made his international debut for Senegal on 11 November 2011, coming on as a half-time substitute for Deme N'Diaye in a 4-1 friendly victory away to neighboring Guinea. He was part of the Senegalese squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he played one match but was unfortunately injured during the opening game against hosts Great Britain. He was subsequently selected for the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2015 and 2017.

3.2. Major Tournaments and Achievements

On 9 June 2017, Gueye scored his first international goal, concluding a 3-0 win over Equatorial Guinea in AFCON qualification. He was included in Senegal's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. At the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, he scored the decisive goal in the quarter-final win over Benin, helping Senegal reach the final, where they were runners-up.

Gueye played a crucial role in Senegal's triumph at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, scoring in the 3-1 semi-final victory over Burkina Faso en route to winning the final. On 11 November 2022, he was named in the 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Senegal qualified for the knockout phase after a 2-1 win over Ecuador in the final group stage match, but Gueye received his second booking of the tournament, ruling him out of the round of 16. On 24 March 2023, Gueye achieved a significant milestone by playing his 100th international match in a 5-1 win over Mozambique during Africa Cup of Nations qualification, becoming the first Senegalese player to reach this feat. In December 2023, he was again named in Senegal's squad for the postponed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Ivory Coast in January 2024. As of November 2024, Gueye holds the record for the most caps for Senegal, with 119 appearances.

7.1. Club

7.2. International

Scores and results list Senegal's goal tally first.