1. Early Life and Background
Yussuf Yurary Poulsen was born on June 15, 1994, in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father was from Tanzania, and his mother is Danish. His father worked on a container ship, traveling between Tanga and Denmark before settling in Copenhagen. Poulsen's father tragically died of cancer when Yussuf was six years old. During his childhood, Poulsen made several trips to Tanzania. Despite being eligible to play for Tanzania through his father's heritage, he did not receive any offers from the Tanzania Football Federation, leading him to choose to represent his native Denmark.
1.1. Youth Career
Poulsen began his football journey at BK Skjold, a club based in Østerbro, Copenhagen. Initially, he played as a defensive player. However, after his teammate Kenneth Zohore transferred to FC Copenhagen, Poulsen was converted to a striker, a position he would maintain throughout his professional career.
1.2. Lyngby BK
At the age of 14, Poulsen joined the youth ranks of Lyngby Boldklub. He made his senior debut for Lyngby on December 4, 2011, coming on as a substitute for Mathias Tauber in a match against AC Horsens. In his first season, he made only five appearances, and the club was subsequently relegated from the Danish Superliga.
On August 5, 2012, Poulsen scored his first senior goal for Lyngby, netting the winning goal in a 1-0 victory against AB Gladsaxe in the Danish 1st Division (the second Danish league). He quickly established himself as a regular starter, playing 32 matches and scoring 11 goals during that season.
2. RB Leipzig Career
Poulsen's impressive performances at Lyngby attracted interest from both domestic and international clubs. On July 3, 2013, he signed a contract with the German club RB Leipzig, which had recently been promoted to the 3. Liga. His tenure at Leipzig marked a period of significant growth for both the player and the club, as he played a crucial role in their rapid ascent through the German football leagues.
2.1. RB Leipzig: Joining and Promotion
Poulsen made his debut for RB Leipzig on July 19, 2013, in a 1-0 away victory against Hallescher FC. He scored his first goals for the club on August 24, netting two goals in a 2-0 home win over Rot-Weiss Essen. In the final game of the 2013-14 RB Leipzig season on May 10, 2014, he scored two more goals in a 3-1 win at Stuttgarter Kickers. He concluded the 2013-14 season with 10 goals in 36 appearances, helping RB Leipzig secure promotion to the 2. Bundesliga as runners-up.
In his first season in the 2. Bundesliga (the 2014-15 RB Leipzig season), Poulsen scored 12 goals in 32 appearances, contributing to the team's fifth-place finish. During this season, he was sent off on February 23, 2015, in a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Braunschweig.
During the 2015-16 RB Leipzig season, Poulsen scored seven goals in 32 appearances as RB Leipzig earned promotion to the top-tier Bundesliga by finishing as runners-up to SC Freiburg. This marked the club's second promotion in three seasons, with Poulsen being a constant presence throughout their rise.
2.2. RB Leipzig: Bundesliga Performances
On August 28, 2016, Poulsen played in RB Leipzig's inaugural Bundesliga match. His first Bundesliga goal came on September 30, 2016, in the sixth match of the 2016-17 Bundesliga season, securing a 2-1 home victory against FC Augsburg. He finished the 2016-17 RB Leipzig season with five goals in 30 appearances.
In the 2017-18 RB Leipzig season, Poulsen scored five goals in 41 appearances across all competitions. A notable contribution was his goal on October 14, 2017, in a 3-2 win against Borussia Dortmund, which ended Dortmund's impressive 41-game unbeaten streak at home.
On March 30, 2019, Poulsen made history during a 5-0 victory over Hertha BSC, becoming the first-ever RB Leipzig player to score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga. This performance also contributed to the club's 50th Bundesliga win. His treble brought his league goal tally for the season to 15, making him only the third Danish player, after Ebbe Sand and Allan Simonsen, to score more than 14 Bundesliga goals in a single season. In the same month, he extended his contract with RB Leipzig until 2022.
Poulsen reached another significant milestone on May 24, 2020, becoming the first Leipzig player to make 250 appearances for the club, a feat he celebrated by scoring in a 5-0 win against 1. FSV Mainz 05. However, he was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the season due to an ankle ligament injury. On October 28, 2021, he further extended his club record by reaching 300 matches in a 2-1 home loss to Club Brugge KV in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
2.3. RB Leipzig: Cup and European Competitions
Poulsen has been a key player for RB Leipzig in various cup competitions. He played in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final, where his team finished as runners-up. During that campaign, he scored in 3-1 victories against FC Viktoria Köln in the first round and Hamburger SV in the semi-final.
He was also instrumental in RB Leipzig's run to the 2021 DFB-Pokal Final, scoring five goals throughout the tournament, including two in a 4-0 home win over VfL Bochum in the last 16. The team, however, finished as runners-up again.
Poulsen finally lifted the DFB-Pokal trophy with RB Leipzig in the 2021-22 DFB-Pokal and successfully defended the title in the 2022-23 DFB-Pokal. He also won the DFL-Supercup in 2023.
In European competitions, Poulsen has regularly featured for RB Leipzig in both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, contributing to the club's growing presence on the continental stage.
3. International Career
Poulsen has been a consistent presence for the Denmark national football team since his debut.
3.1. National Team Debut and Eligibility
Given his background with a Tanzanian father and Danish mother, Poulsen was eligible to represent both nations. However, as he did not receive any offers or contact from the Tanzanian Football Federation, he chose to represent his birth country, Denmark.
He made his debut for the Danish national team on January 30, 2013, in a match against Mexico. On June 13, 2015, he scored his first international goal for Denmark in a 2-0 victory over Serbia. Poulsen was selected for Denmark's squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics, but he ultimately rejected the call-up to prioritize and solidify his position at RB Leipzig.
3.2. Major Tournament Appearances
In May 2018, Poulsen was named in Denmark's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia. On June 16, he scored the solitary goal in Denmark's opening game against Peru, earning him the man of the match award. Earlier in the game, he had conceded a penalty, which the Peruvian player Christian Cueva subsequently missed.
Poulsen was a key member of the Danish squad that reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2020, which was played in the summer of 2021. He scored his first goal in the UEFA European Championship on June 17, in a 2-1 defeat to Belgium. Four days later, he added another goal in a decisive 4-1 win over Russia, which helped Denmark advance to the knockout stages.
He was also part of the Danish squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.
3.3. International Goals and Notable Matches
Poulsen has scored 14 goals for the Denmark national team. His goals include contributions in major tournaments and qualifying campaigns:
- On June 13, 2015, he scored the opening goal against Serbia in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier.
- On November 17, 2015, he scored against Sweden in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying play-off.
- On October 8, 2016, he scored against Poland in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
- On June 9, 2018, he scored in a friendly match against Mexico.
- On June 16, 2018, he scored the winning goal against Peru in the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage.
- On June 10, 2019, he scored against Georgia in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier.
- On October 12, 2019, he scored against Switzerland in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier.
- On June 2, 2021, he scored against Germany in a friendly match.
- On June 17, 2021, he scored against Belgium in UEFA Euro 2020.
- On June 21, 2021, he scored against Russia in UEFA Euro 2020.
- On September 7, 2021, he scored against Israel in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
- On October 17, 2023, he scored against San Marino in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier.
- On June 8, 2024, he scored against Norway in a friendly match.
- On September 8, 2024, he scored against Serbia in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League.
4. Career Statistics
4.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lyngby | 2011-12 | Danish Superliga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2012-13 | Danish 1st Division | 30 | 11 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 32 | 12 | |||
| Total | 35 | 11 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 37 | 12 | ||||
| RB Leipzig | 2013-14 | 3. Liga | 36 | 10 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 37 | 10 | ||
| 2014-15 | 2. Bundesliga | 29 | 11 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 32 | 12 | |||
| 2015-16 | 2. Bundesliga | 32 | 7 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 7 | |||
| 2016-17 | Bundesliga | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 30 | 5 | |||
| 2017-18 | Bundesliga | 30 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | - | 41 | 5 | ||
| 2018-19 | Bundesliga | 31 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 2 | - | 45 | 19 | ||
| 2019-20 | Bundesliga | 22 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 33 | 5 | ||
| 2020-21 | Bundesliga | 27 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 1 | - | 41 | 11 | ||
| 2021-22 | Bundesliga | 25 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 0 | - | 37 | 7 | ||
| 2022-23 | Bundesliga | 19 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 4 | |
| 2023-24 | Bundesliga | 28 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 6 | |
| 2024-25 | Bundesliga | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | - | 19 | 3 | ||
| Total | 320 | 75 | 34 | 15 | 60 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 418 | 94 | ||
| Career total | 355 | 86 | 36 | 16 | 60 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 455 | 106 | ||
4.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 15 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | |
| Total | 86 | 14 | |
5. Honours
Poulsen has achieved several team and individual accolades throughout his career:
RB Leipzig
- DFB-Pokal: 2021-22, 2022-23
- DFB-Pokal Runner-up: 2018-19, 2020-21
- DFL-Supercup: 2023
Individual
- Bundesliga Goal of the Month: October 2020
6. Personal Life
Yussuf Poulsen was born to a Tanzanian father and a Danish mother. His father passed away from cancer when Poulsen was six years old.
In 2015, Poulsen ventured into entrepreneurship by co-founding a café named "Social" in Copenhagen. He established the café with his friends Sebastian Streit Jeppesen and Frederik Nemo Andersen. "Social" is known for its coffee and vegan food offerings.
