29 Wesley Fofana

Wesley Tidjan Fofana was born on December 17, 2000, in Marseille, France. He is of mixed heritage, with an Ivorian father and a French mother. One of six children, Fofana developed a passion for football early, beginning his journey with Repos Vitrolles at just six years old.

Fofana is a practicing Muslim. In April 2021, during Leicester City’s match against West Bromwich Albion, he was substituted at the hour mark while observing Ramadan. In the following game against Crystal Palace, play was briefly halted to allow Fofana and Cheikhou Kouyaté to break their fast.

Following Leicester City’s triumph in the 2021 FA Cup Final, Fofana displayed his support for Palestine by celebrating with a Palestinian flag alongside teammate Hamza Choudhury. Their gesture occurred amid the Palestinian-Israeli clashes of May 2021.

Saint-Étienne (2015–2020)

Fofana joined Saint-Étienne’s youth academy in 2015 and signed his first professional contract with the club on May 15, 2018. He made his senior debut on May 18, 2019, in a 3–0 league victory against Nice.

On October 2, 2020, Fofana secured a move to Premier League club Leicester City, signing a five-year contract. The transfer fee was reported to be up to £36.5 million.

In his debut season, he played a crucial role in Leicester’s FA Cup-winning campaign, starting in the 2021 final, where they secured a 1–0 victory over Chelsea. After a standout year, Fofana was named Leicester City’s Young Player of the Season by the club’s supporters.

However, his momentum was halted on August 4, 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a pre-season match against Villarreal. He returned to action on March 17, 2022, scoring in a 2–1 defeat to Stade Rennais in the UEFA Europa Conference League, helping Leicester progress on aggregate.

Fofana joined Chelsea on August 31, 2022, on a seven-year contract for a reported £70 million, plus £5 million in add-ons. Following his transfer, he accused Leicester City of making “false and misleading comments” regarding his exit.

He made his Chelsea debut on September 3, 2022, in a 2–1 win against West Ham United. On October 5, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 Champions League victory over AC Milan but was forced off with a serious knee injury. This injury sidelined him until February 2023.

Fofana returned on February 18, 2023, in a 1–0 home loss to Southampton. He later scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea on March 4, securing a 1–0 win against Leeds United.

On July 18, 2023, Chelsea announced that Fofana had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, requiring surgery. Although he resumed training in November, he did not feature in any matches during the 2023–24 season.

Fofana received his first senior call-up for France in March 2023 for UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland but had to withdraw due to injury. He eventually made his international debut three months later in a 3–0 win against Gibraltar.