_(cropped).jpg) Januzaj withBelgium at the2018 FIFA World Cup | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adnan Januzaj[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1995-02-05)5 February 1995 (age 30)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Brussels, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Winger | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Sevilla | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 24 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | FC Brussels | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2011 | Anderlecht | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Manchester United | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | Manchester United | 50 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | →Borussia Dortmund (loan) | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | →Sunderland (loan) | 25 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2022 | Real Sociedad | 132 | (15) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Sevilla | 12 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 | →İstanbul Başakşehir (loan) | 11 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | →Las Palmas (loan) | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2022 | Belgium | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:34, 17 August 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:45, 29 March 2022 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Adnan Januzaj (born 5 February 1995) is a Belgian professionalfootballer who plays as awinger forLa Liga clubSevilla.
Born and raised inBrussels, Januzaj began his career withAnderlecht before joiningManchester United in 2011 at the age of 16. Januzaj broke into the Manchester United first-team under managerDavid Moyes during the 2013–14 season, but struggled for opportunities under Moyes' successorsLouis van Gaal andJosé Mourinho, and had loan spells atBorussia Dortmund andSunderland before joiningReal Sociedad in July 2017.
Januzaj made his full international debut in 2014 and later that year played for Belgium at theFIFA World Cup in2014 and2018, reaching the semi-finals of the latter tournament.
Januzaj began his football career withFC Brussels but joinedAnderlecht as a ten-year-old in 2005.[4] He left Anderlecht forManchester United at the age of 16 in March 2011, after impressing in a skills session in Brussels.[5]
Towards the end of the2012–13 season, United managerSir Alex Ferguson promoted Januzaj to the first-team and he was registered with the number 44 jersey; he did not feature in the remainder of the season, but he was an unused substitute in the final game of the season away toWest Bromwich Albion.[6] For his performances during the season, Januzaj won the2013 Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year award.[7] He was included in the first-team squad for the2013–14 pre-season tour of Asia and scored in the final game of the tour against Hong Kong sideKitchee five minutes after being substituted on. He also started inRio Ferdinand'stestimonial; United lost 3–1 toSevilla, but Januzaj provided the assist for United's only goal.[8]
"It's a great thrill to be able to sign for Manchester United. Since arriving here, I have always felt like this was the right club for me. This season has been great for me – going on the pre-season tour, making my debut in the Community Shield win at Wembley and then breaking into the team at Sunderland – it's like a dream. I want to work hard now and establish myself as a Manchester United player."
Januzaj made his competitive debut forManchester United againstWigan Athletic on 11 August 2013 in theCommunity Shield, coming on forRobin van Persie with six minutes left to play.[10] He made hisPremier League debut a month later, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute forAshley Young in a 2–0 home win overCrystal Palace on 14 September.[11] On 5 October 2013, in what was his first start for the club, Januzaj scored twice as United came from behind to claim a 2–1 victory away toSunderland.[12] In an effort to stave off interest from other clubs, who could have signed Januzaj for "minimal compensation" on the expiry of his existing contract in June 2014, Manchester United signed Januzaj to a new five-year contract on 19 October 2013.[13] On 3 December 2013, he was nominated for theBBC Young Sports Personality of the Year; at the time of his nomination, he had played in ten games for Manchester United.[14]
Januzaj was left out of Manchester United's initial squad for theUEFA Champions League when it was registered in September 2013,[15] which came as a surprise to some members of the media after his impressive start to the season.[16] ManagerDavid Moyes later explained this was a tactical decision to allow the club to register an additional player for the competition; as Januzaj had not been with the club long enough to be eligible for the 'List B' squad, which for 2013–14 included any player born after 1 January 1992 who had been eligible to play for the club for at least two years, he would have had to be registered as one of only 25 'List A' players, taking up a space that could have been used by another player.[16] By waiting until 7 October 2013 to register Januzaj, he became eligible as a List B player, but this meant that he could not be selected for the club's first two matches in the competition, at home toBayer Leverkusen and away toShakhtar Donetsk.[15] Despite being available from the third game of the tournament, at home toReal Sociedad, Januzaj was left out of both games against the Spanish club and the return match against Bayer Leverkusen. He made his Champions League debut at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on 10 December 2013.[17]
Towards the end of the first half of the 2013–14 season, Januzaj gathered somewhat of a reputation fordiving, beginning with a yellow card for a "clear dive" on his full debut against Sunderland in October 2013.[18][19] He received another booking for simulation againstWest Ham United in December 2013, going to ground despite West Ham defenderJames Collins not offering a challenge.[18] His third yellow card – which made him the joint second-most-booked player in the Premier League since sanctions for diving were introduced in 2008 – came againstTottenham Hotspur on 1 January 2014 and was the most contentious of the three; although Januzaj went to ground "easily" under a challenge from Tottenham defenderDanny Rose,[18] others were of the opinion that Rose made no attempt to win the ball, and that Januzaj should not have been booked.[20] David Moyes admitted speaking to Januzaj about simulation, but repeatedly requested that match officials protect the winger from overzealous tackling by opposition defenders.[21][22][23][24][25]
At the start of the2014–15 season, Januzaj was allocated the number 11 shirt, previously worn by the recently retiredRyan Giggs.[26] He made his first appearance of the season as a substitute in United's openingPremier League match; a 1–2 loss at home toSwansea City.[27] His first start of the season came in a 2–2 draw with West Bromwich Albion on 20 October 2014, in which he struggled against physical defendersSébastien Pocognoli andJoleon Lescott.[28]
After not scoring in any competitions the previous season, and not making the bench for the first game of the new campaign, Januzaj scored his first goal for over a year on 14 August 2015, a close range 29th-minute strike which gave United victory atAston Villa.[29] His first appearance upon return from loan came againstSouthampton on 23 January 2016, when he replacedCameron Borthwick-Jackson as a late substitute.[30]
On 31 August 2015, Januzaj was loaned to German clubBorussia Dortmund on a season-long deal.[31] On 6 January 2016, he was recalled to United after only playing in 12 games for Dortmund in the first half of the season, starting three times.[32]
On 12 August 2016, Januzaj agreed to joinSunderland on a season-long loan move from Manchester United, linking up with former Manchester United managerDavid Moyes.[33] Januzaj made his debut the following day, coming off the bench againstManchester City in a 2–1 defeat on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.[34] In his third game for Sunderland againstShrewsbury Town, Januzaj scored his first goal for the team, a late winner.[35] Januzaj was sent off for two yellow cards on 18 September in a 1–0 loss at Tottenham.[36] Six days later, he suffered an ankle injury that ruled him out for at least six weeks during the 3–2 defeat toCrystal Palace.[37] In December, Moyes said that despite Januzaj's talent, he needed to improve his performances at Sunderland if he wanted to break into Manchester United's squad.[38]
Having failed to hold onto his place in the Manchester United squad, Januzaj signed a five-year contract with Spanish clubReal Sociedad in July 2017.[39] He made his debut inLa Liga on 10 September, starting in a 4–2 win atDeportivo de La Coruña,[40] and scored his first goal on 5 November in a 3–1 home victory againstBasque neighboursEibar.[41] He also scored in a draw withLas Palmas and was one of three nominees forLa Liga Player of the Month. He also scored a late equaliser against Atletico Madrid that proved vital to secure his team a European place.[42]
After being released by Real Sociedad at the end of the 2021–22 season, Januzaj signed a four-year contract withSevilla on 31 August 2022.[43]
On 3 February 2023, Januzaj signed forSüper Lig clubİstanbul Başakşehir on loan until the end of the season.[44]
On 24 July 2024, Januzaj joinedLas Palmas also in the Spanish top tier on loan for the2024–25 campaign.[45]
Due to his Kosovan-Albanian parents,[46][47][48] in 2013, media reported that Januzaj was eligible to represent several national teams -Belgium (through being born there and having a Belgian passport),Albania (through his Albanian descent) andKosovo (which was not a FIFA member at that time and only a partially recognized independent state), as well asSerbia,Turkey andCroatia.[49] About this case, Abedin Januzaj (Adnan's father) stated "I am not closing the doors to Albania, because we are Albanian. However, they are closing the doors to themselves. I only deal with professionals on the issue," and said that Adnan would not represent Serbia, Turkey or Croatia because "we have no connections with these countries".[49]
In October 2013,England managerRoy Hodgson stated thatThe Football Association was monitoring the player with a view to calling him up if Januzaj was naturalized as a British citizen (and passed the residency requirement of FIFA, according toDavid Moyes).[50] However, despite widespread press coverage, Januzaj did not meet the requirements to play for England under the rules set out in theHome Nations agreement,[51] which requires that players engage in a minimum of five years of education before the age of 18 within the territory of the relevant association and national team eligibility through residency as an adult is not applicable.[51][52]
Despite having played competitively for Belgium at senior level, Januzaj remained eligible to representKosovo, as it was not a UEFA or FIFA member when he made his Belgian debut.[53] However, once he made another appearance with Belgium after 2016 (the year in which Kosovo became a member of FIFA), Januzajbecame ineligible to represent Kosovo and could from then on represent Belgium only.
In June 2013, the former coach of the Belgian under-18 and under-19 teams, Marc Van Geersom, declared that Januzaj had refused a call-up to the Belgian team a number of times, since he would prefer to play for Albania.[54][55]
On 7 October 2013, former national team coachMarc Wilmots attempted to select Januzaj for the2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying games againstCroatia andWales, but Januzaj refused the call-up, saying he still needs to make a choice. In response, Wilmots stated: "I wanted to send him a clear signal. Just asZakaria Bakkali, Adnan is a very promising youngster and I would like to integrate him into the group. I do not want to force his hand. I respect his choice and consider discussing with Adnan and his family".[56] On 16 October, discussing rumours that suggested Januzaj would choose to represent Belgium if he is included in the2014 FIFA World Cup squad, Wilmots declared: "The boy was born in Belgium, should he say that he wants to play for Belgium – from there, there is no haggling. I'm not going to play that game. If you're at the top level in Manchester or elsewhere, show me your skills and if I need you I will call. I make no promises, to Januzaj or any person".[57] The following day, Januzaj's father told Kosovar TV station KTV that he did not like the Belgian federation's approach: "I am not blackmailing them as I'm not asking for any national team to get my son. It is them who want Adnan. [...] you have to be professional in this issue. Belgium should follow the rules as well. I run his career in a sportive sense, and I have Belgium managers running the legal issues."[58]
On 23 April 2014, Wilmots announced that Januzaj had committed himself to the Belgium national team.[59] This message was confirmed the day itself by Januzaj's manager Dirk De Vriese.[60] On 13 May 2014, Januzaj was included inBelgium's 23-man squad for the2014 FIFA World Cup.[61] He played a first game with the national team two weeks later in a match againstLuxembourg,[62] but he did not earn his first cap; the match was considered unofficial byFIFA on 4 June because Belgian coach Wilmots made 7 substitutions while only 6 are allowed in international friendlies.[63] His official debut came in the next warm-up game, a 1–0 win overTunisia on 7 June, replacingEden Hazard after 73 minutes.[64]
In November 2017, Januzaj was recalled to the Belgian squad for the first time in three years ahead of friendlies againstMexico andJapan,[65] but did not play. In June, he was named byRoberto Martínez in the 23-man squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[66] In the final group game againstEngland inKaliningrad, he scored the only goal as the Belgians advanced as group winners.[67]
In 2014,New Balance announced that they were taking overWarrior Sports, and they would be intent on making their own football boots. They recruited many professional footballers, including Januzaj, who also featured in an advertisement promoting the new range.[68]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United | 2012–13 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| Total | 50 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 63 | 5 | ||
| Borussia Dortmund (loan) | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5[e] | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| Sunderland (loan) | 2016–17 | Premier League | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| Real Sociedad | 2017–18 | La Liga | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[e] | 1 | — | 35 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 20 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 24 | 2 | ||||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 24 | 4 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | 29 | 8 | ||||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 7[e] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 36 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 33 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 7[e] | 1 | — | 44 | 5 | |||
| Total | 132 | 15 | 15 | 6 | — | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 168 | 23 | |||
| Sevilla | 2022–23 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |||
| İstanbul Başakşehir (loan) | 2022–23 | Süper Lig | 11 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 2[g] | 1 | — | 17 | 3 | ||
| Las Palmas (loan) | 2024–25 | La Liga | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 253 | 24 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 34 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 326 | 34 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2014 | 6 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 June 2018 | Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, Russia | 9 |  England | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
Manchester United
Real Sociedad
Belgium
Individual
The teenager was born in Brussels... He qualifies to play for Albania through his Kosovan-Albanian parents... He qualifies to play for Turkey through his grandparents.
Januzaj, who signed a new five-year-deal with Manchester United last October, was born in Belgium and has Kosovan-Albanian parents. He could also represent Serbia after Kosovo declared independence from the country in 2008, while his grandparents are Turkish.
The 19-year-old... was born in Belgium to Kosovan-Albanian parents... In addition the teenager has Turkish grandparents
Belgium squads | |||||||||||||
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