 Batshuayi withBelgium at the2022 FIFA World Cup | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michy Batshuayi-Atunga[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1993-10-02)2 October 1993 (age 32)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Brussels, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Eintracht Frankfurt | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 30 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Brussels | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Anderlecht | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Brussels | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Standard Liège | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Standard Liège | 97 | (39) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Marseille | 62 | (29) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2022 | Chelsea | 48 | (8) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018 | →Borussia Dortmund (loan) | 10 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | →Valencia (loan) | 15 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | →Crystal Palace (loan) | 11 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | →Crystal Palace (loan) | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | →Beşiktaş (loan) | 33 | (14) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Fenerbahçe | 46 | (24) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Galatasaray | 18 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Eintracht Frankfurt | 14 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Belgium U21 | 13 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015– | Belgium | 55 | (27) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:33, 1 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:18, 26 March 2024 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Michy Batshuayi-Atunga (born 2 October 1993) is a Belgian professionalfootballer who plays as astriker forBundesliga clubEintracht Frankfurt and theBelgium national team.
Batshuayi began his professional career atStandard Liège in 2011, scoring 44 goals in 120 games across all competitions. His 21 goals in the2013–14 Belgian Pro League made him the second-highest scorer and contributed to hisEbony Shoe Award. He then transferred toMarseille for £4.5 million, helping them reach the2016 Coupe de France final. In July 2016, he was signed by Chelsea for £33 million, and scored the goal that won thePremier League title in hisdebut season. After loans atBorussia Dortmund,Valencia,Crystal Palace andBeşiktaş, he joined Fenerbahçe in 2022.
Batshuayi scored in his international debut for Belgium againstCyprus in March 2015. He was part of their side that finished in third place at the2018 FIFA World Cup, also playing at the2022 World Cup and theUEFA European Championships of2016 and2020.
Born inBrussels toCongolese parents,[4] Batshuayi had a nomadic youth career with spells at Evere, Schaarbeek,Brussels (twice) andAnderlecht before he joinedStandard Liège.[5]
Batshuayi made his debut for the senior team on 20 February 2011 in a 4–1 loss away toGent, replacingFranck Berrier for the last seven minutes.[6] Six days later, he made his only other appearance of theBelgian Pro Leagueseason, filling in forAloys Nong in the last minute of a 3–0 victory againstKV Mechelen at theStade Maurice Dufrasne.[7]
On 21 July, Batshuayi was an unusedsubstitute in the2011 Belgian Super Cup, a 1–0 loss to Gent.[8] On 15 December, he scored his first professional goal, the only one away toCopenhagen in the last match of Group B during the2011–12 UEFA Europa League group stage, advancing his team into the knockout stages.[9] Six days later, he added two more in a 2–1 win atLierse in the quarter-final first leg of theBelgian Cup, although his side lost 5–4 on aggregate.[10] He scored his first league goal on 14 January 2012 to round off a 6–1 home win overGerminal Beerschot,[11] and ended the campaign with six. He was sent-off as a substitute in a 3–2 loss at Genk on 22 April for stamping on the chest ofJeroen Simaeys, for which theRoyal Belgian Football Association suspended him for four matches.[12]
Batshuayi was again sent-off on 25 September 2012 in a 3–2 win atMouscron in the sixth round of the Belgian Cup, having elbowed Benjamin Delacourt within the first half-hour; he was suspended for the next two matches of the competition and fined €200.[13] In an interview a month later, he said he felt "destroyed" by the suspension.[14] He recorded 12 goals in 26 matches over the campaign, including two on 19 May 2013 to decide a 4–3 home win overLokeren.[15]
In the2013–14 season, Batshuayi scored 21 goals in 34 matches, putting him in second place for the league's top scorer behind Lokeren'sHamdi Harbaoui.[5] This tally included a first professionalhat-trick on 15 September in a 4–2 win atOostende.[16] He was awarded theEbony Shoe Award for the season's best player of African origin, ahead of Harbaoui.[17]
On 8 August 2014, Batshuayi signed with French clubMarseille for a £4.5 million transfer fee.[18][19] He made his debut the next day as Marseille began theLigue 1 season with a 3–3 draw atBastia, replacingDimitri Payet with 11 minutes remaining. On 29 October, he scored his first goal for the club to open a 2–1 defeat atRennes in the third round of theCoupe de la Ligue.[20] He scored nine league goals forMarcelo Bielsa's team, despite rarely starting matches.[5] On 22 February 2015, within five minutes of coming on forAndré-Pierre Gignac, he scored twice away toSaint-Étienne in an eventual 2–2 draw.[21] In March, he added further braces in away victories atToulouse andLens (6–1 and 4–0 respectively), the latter after taking Gignac's place at half-time.[22][23]
On 23 August 2015, Batshuayi scored his first goals of the season, a brace, in a 6–0 victory overTroyes.[24] Soon after, club president Vincent Lebrune said, "There is not a single top 15 world club that is not interested in Batshuayi. He is one of the most wanted players on the market. There were a lot of offers for him this summer, but he didn't want to leave. He's proving himself on the pitch, and if clubs want him then they are going to have to pay around €50m."[5] By the mid-season break, he had 11 goals from 19 matches, behind onlyarch-rivalParis Saint-Germain'sZlatan Ibrahimović, with Marseille in tenth in the league table and PSG in first.[5] Batshuayi finished the league season with 17 goals. He added two more goals from five games in theCoupe de France, one being inthe final, where Marseille lost 4–2 to PSG on 21 May 2016.[25]
In April 2016, EnglishPremier League clubWest Ham United were reported as the favourites to sign Batshuayi, having offered a €35 million bid.[26] Two months later, their London neighboursCrystal Palace made a €38 million (£31.5 million) bid which would have made him their record signing, while Italian championsJuventus were also among the interested parties.[19] Although Palace's bid was accepted, Batshuayi did not want to make the move, instead engaging with a €40 million (£33.2 million) offer fromChelsea, for which he left Belgium'sUEFA Euro 2016 squad to undergo a medical.[27] On 3 July, he signed a five-year deal at Chelsea.[28] He was the first signing by their new managerAntonio Conte, and said his aim was to get the team back to winning the Premier League and qualifying for theUEFA Champions League.[29] Batshuayi added he was eager to work alongside their midfielderOscar.[30] Batshuayi joined Chelsea for pre-season in Austria, and on 20 July, he made his debut in afriendly againstWolfsberger AC.[31] A day later, he scored his first two goals in an 8–0 friendly victory against Atus Ferlach.[32]
On 15 August, Batshuayi made his competitive debut in Chelsea's opening match of the2016–17 season, coming off the substitutes' bench to set-upDiego Costa's late winner in a 2–1 win over West Ham.[33] Five days later, after replacing Oscar, he went on to score his first Premier League goal in a victory by the same score atWatford.[34] On 23 August, Batshuayi made his first start for Chelsea in theEFL Cup, scoring a brace in a 3–2 home victory againstBristol Rovers.[35]
On 12 May, Batshuayi came on as a second-half substitute againstWest Bromwich Albion with the score 0–0, with Chelsea needing a victory to clinch thePremier League title.[36] In the 82nd minute, he slotted a goal past goalkeeperBen Foster to win Chelsea their fifth Premier League title.[37] Batshuayi went on to score three goals in Chelsea's final two matches, including the last goal of the season in the 92nd minute of Chelsea's 5–1 win overSunderland atStamford Bridge. Batshuayi finished the season with 5 goals in only 236 minutes of Premier League action, equaling a rate of one goal every 47 minutes.[38]
Batshuayi scored his first Chelsea hat-trick on 20 September 2017 in a 5–1 home win overNottingham Forest in the third round of theEFL Cup.[39]In aChampions League group stage match away toAtlético Madrid a week later, substitute Batshuayi scored the added-time winning goal in a 2–1 victory.[40] On 17 January 2018, he scored in a third-roundFA Cup win overNorwich City on his 50th appearance for Chelsea. The match finished 1–1 after extra time, with theBlues going on to win 5–3 on penalties.[41]
On 31 January 2018, Batshuayi joined GermanBundesliga clubBorussia Dortmund onloan for the remainder of the2017–18 season.[42] His debut came on 2 February away to1. FC Köln, where he scored twice and had a third disallowed via thevideo assistant referee, as he was in an offside position. He also made an assist. The match ended 3–2 to Dortmund as an away victory. Batshuayi became the first player to score multiple goals on his Bundesliga debut since the player he replaced at Dortmund,Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.[43] The following week, onmatchday 22, he again scored the opening goal againstHamburger SV as Dortmund won 2–0.[44] On 15 February, he scored twice againstAtalanta in the round of 32 first leg of the2017–18 UEFA Europa League as Dortmund won 3–2 and took the lead going into the second leg.[45] Dortmund's draw in Italy meant the club progressed to the round of 16, although Batshuayi reported hearing "monkey noises" during the match.[46] In March,UEFA's investigation led to both teams being fined for use of pyrotechnics and other crowd disturbances, but Batshuayi's allegations of racism were dismissed. He criticised European football's governing body for their judgement.[47] In a 2–0 loss toSchalke 04 on 15 April, Batshuayi injured his ankle ligaments and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.[48]
On 10 August 2018, Batshuayi was loaned to SpanishLa Liga clubValencia for the2018–19 season.[49] Ten days later, he made his Liga debut as a 76th-minute substitute forCarlos Soler in a 1–1 home draw with Atlético Madrid, then continued that role in subsequent matches in a side possessingRodrigo,Santi Mina andKevin Gameiro as striking options.[50] On 26 September, he scored his first goal in a 1–1 draw withCelta de Vigo, therefore becoming the first player to score in the top leagues of France, Germany, England and Spain in the 21st century.[51]
In January 2019, Batshuayi's loan to Valencia was cut short and he joined English Premier League clubCrystal Palace on loan until the end of the 2018–19 season.[52][53] He made his debut on 2 February in a home 2–0 win againstFulham, providing an assist forJeffrey Schlupp to score the second goal.[54] On 23 February, Batshuayi scored for Crystal Palace in 4–1 win againstLeicester City.[55]
On 23 October 2019, Batshuayi came off the bench to score a late 1–0 winner for Chelsea, in their firstChampions League meeting withAjax atJohan Cruyff Arena.[56] He scored the opener in a 2–1 away win overHull City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 25 January.[57]
On 10 September 2020, Batshuayi returned to Crystal Palace for his second loan until the end of the2020–21 season.[58] On 18 October in the game againstBrighton & Hove Albion, he won a penalty which was converted byWilfried Zaha in the 1–1 draw against theirrivals.[59]
On 18 August 2021, Batshuayi extended his contract at Chelsea until 2023 and joinedBeşiktaş on loan for the2021–22 season.[60] He was theSüper Lig's joint-seventh top scorer with 14 goals in 33 games,[61] and won theTurkish Super Cup on 5 January 2022 by scoring in the penalty shootout after the 1–1 draw withAntalyaspor at theAhmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar.[62]
On 2 September 2022, Batshuayi remained inIstanbul by signing a two-year contract with the option for a third atFenerbahçe.[63] The transfer fee was reportedly €3 million; he was previously being pursued by newly promoted Premier League clubNottingham Forest, who offered to pay the final year of his Chelsea salary and take him on a free transfer.[64] A month later, on 30 October, Batshuayi scored his first hat-trick in a 5–2 win atİstanbulspor, also providing an assist.[65] On 11 June 2023, Batshuayi scored a brace in a 2–0 win in theTurkish Cup final againstİstanbul Başakşehir.[66]
On 1 August 2023, he scored a brace in theUEFA Conference League match againstZimbru at theZimbru Stadium, Fenerbahçe won 4–0.[67] Later that year, on 20 December, he scored his second hat-trick with the club in a 4–3 away win atKayserispor inSüper Lig.[68] On 17 January 2024, he scored four goals againstAdanaspor inTurkish Cup match, Fenerbahçe won 6–0.[69]
On 1 July 2024,Galatasaray announced that Batshuayi joined the club by signing a 3-year contract, becoming the first foreign player to play for allBig Three clubs in the Turkish Süper Lig.[70]
On 3 February 2025, Batshuayi signed a two-and-a-half-year contract withEintracht Frankfurt in Germany.[71]
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Batshuayi was eligible to play for theDR Congo national team through his parents, but in March 2015, he ruled out this option, stating that although hisCongolese heritage is important to him, he would rather representBelgium.[72]
Batshuayi made his international debut for Belgium on 28 March 2015 in aUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match againstCyprus. ReplacingChristian Benteke in the 77th minute, he scored from outside the penalty area three minutes later to seal a 5–0 victory at home.[73] He was selected for thefinal tournament in France, making his competition debut in the last 16 againstHungary inToulouse on 26 June. With his first touch, he finishedEden Hazard's assist for the second goal of a 4–0 victory.[74]
In Belgium's2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, Batshuayi scored once in a 4–3 win away toBosnia and Herzegovina on 7 October 2017, with theRed Devils already assured of their place in thefinal tournament.[75] ManagerRoberto Martínez named him in the 23-man squad to go to Russia.[76] In their second group stage match, he came on as a 68th-minute substitute againstTunisia and missed several chances before finally scoring the fifth goal for Belgium in a 5–2 victory.[77]
Despite a difficult clubseason, on 17 May 2021, Batshuayi was included in the final 26-man squad for the re-arrangedUEFA Euro 2020.[78] He was also called up for the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, scoring the only goal of the team's opener on 23 November againstCanada; Belgium scored no further goals in a group stage elimination.[79]
Despite a prolific club season with 24 goals, he was not included in Belgium's squad for the finals ofUEFA Euro 2024.[80]
A December 2015 profiling byFourFourTwo likened Batshuayi for his speed, strength, positioning and link-up play toDidier Drogba.[5]
Batshuayi is nicknamed "Batsman" a play on the name of the superheroBatman.[26] His younger brotherAaron Leya Iseka plays professional foootball in the same position, coming through at Anderlecht and signing for Marseille on loan, one month after Batshuayi's exit.[81][82]
| 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 | ||
| Standard Liège | 2010–11 | Belgian Pro League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | 8[c] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 9 | |||
| 2012–13 | 34 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 12 | |||||
| 2013–14 | 38 | 21 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[d] | 2 | — | 49 | 23 | ||||
| Total | 97 | 39 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 44 | ||
| Marseille | 2014–15 | Ligue 1 | 26 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 28 | 10 | ||
| 2015–16 | 36 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7[d] | 4 | — | 50 | 23 | |||
| Total | 62 | 26 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 33 | ||
| Chelsea | 2016–17 | Premier League | 20 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 28 | 9 | ||
| 2017–18 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4[e] | 2 | 1[f] | 0 | 25 | 10 | ||
| 2019–20 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4[e] | 1 | — | 24 | 6 | |||
| Total | 48 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 77 | 25 | ||
| Chelsea U23 | 2017–18 | — | — | — | — | 1[g] | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Borussia Dortmund (loan) | 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 10 | 7 | — | — | 4[d] | 2 | — | 14 | 9 | |||
| Valencia (loan) | 2018–19 | La Liga | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 5[e] | 1 | — | 23 | 3 | ||
| Crystal Palace (loan) | 2018–19 | Premier League | 11 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 6 | |||
| 2020–21 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 29 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 8 | ||
| Beşiktaş (loan) | 2021–22 | Süper Lig | 33 | 14 | 3 | 0 | — | 5[e] | 0 | 1[h] | 0 | 42 | 14 | |
| Fenerbahçe | 2022–23 | Süper Lig | 19 | 12 | 5 | 5 | — | 8[d] | 3 | — | 32 | 20 | ||
| 2023–24 | 27 | 12 | 3 | 6 | — | 13[i] | 6 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 24 | |||
| Total | 46 | 24 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 44 | ||
| Galatasaray | 2024–25 | Süper Lig | 18 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[j] | 2 | 1[h] | 0 | 30 | 7 | |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 10 | 3 | — | — | 1[d] | 0 | — | 11 | 3 | |||
| 2025–26 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[e] | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 372 | 133 | 41 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 80 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 511 | 192 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2015 | 2 | 2 |
| 2016 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 7 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 5 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 5 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 55 | 27 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 March 2015 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Cyprus | 5–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 2 | 13 November 2015 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Italy | 3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 26 June 2016 | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France |  Hungary | 2–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 |
| 4 | 5 June 2017 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Czech Republic | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 7 October 2017 | Stadion Grbavica, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2–2 | 4–3 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 27 March 2018 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Saudi Arabia | 3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 11 June 2018 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Costa Rica | 4–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 8 | 23 June 2018 | Otkritie Arena, Moscow, Russia |  Tunisia | 5–1 | 5–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
| 9 | 7 September 2018 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland |  Scotland | 3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 10 | 4–0 | |||||
| 11 | 15 November 2018 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Iceland | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A |
| 12 | 2–0 | |||||
| 13 | 24 March 2019 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | Cyprus | 2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 14 | 6 September 2019 | San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino |  San Marino | 1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 15 | 4–0 | |||||
| 16 | 13 October 2019 | Astana Arena, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan |  Kazakhstan | 1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 17 | 8 September 2020 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium | Iceland | 2–1 | 5–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
| 18 | 4–1 | |||||
| 19 | 8 October 2020 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Ivory Coast | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 20 | 11 November 2020 | Den Dreef, Leuven, Belgium |  Switzerland | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 21 | 2–1 | |||||
| 22 | 30 March 2021 | Den Dreef, Leuven, Belgium |  Belarus | 1–0 | 8–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 26 March 2022 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |  Republic of Ireland | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 24 | 3 June 2022 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Netherlands | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 25 | 14 June 2022 | Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland |  Poland | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 26 | 22 September 2022 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Wales | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 27 | 23 November 2022 | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Canada | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
Chelsea
Beşiktaş
Fenerbahçe
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