Breel Embolo facts for kids
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Embolo warming up for Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 February 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Yaoundé, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Monaco | ||
| Number | 36 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2008 | Nordstern | ||
| 2008–2010 | Old Boys | ||
| 2010–2014 | Basel | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2014–2016 | Basel | 61 | (21) |
| 2016–2019 | Schalke 04 | 48 | (10) |
| 2019–2022 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 88 | (22) |
| 2022– | Monaco | 53 | (17) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2012 | Switzerland U16 | 4 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Switzerland U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Switzerland U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2015– | Switzerland | 73 | (15) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Breel Donald Embolo (born on 14 February 1997) is a professional football player from Switzerland. He plays as a forward for the Ligue 1 club Monaco. He also plays for the Switzerland national team.
Breel was born in Cameroon. He moved with his mother and siblings to France. Later, they settled in Switzerland. He started his football journey in youth teams.
He made his professional debut for Basel in March 2014. He helped Basel win the Swiss Super League three times. After that, he moved to Germany to play for Schalke 04. He later joined Borussia Mönchengladbach. Now, he plays for Monaco in France.
Embolo first played for the senior Switzerland team in 2015. He has played over 70 games for his country. He has represented Switzerland in major tournaments. These include the UEFA European Championship (2016, 2020, 2024) and the FIFA World Cup (2018, 2022).
Contents
Breel Embolo's Early Life
Breel Donald Embolo was born on 14 February 1997. His birthplace was Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. His parents separated when he was very young.
At age five, his mother moved to France. Breel went to school there, living between Toulouse and Paris. His mother later met her future husband, who was Swiss. The family then moved to Basel, Switzerland.
Breel Embolo's Club Career
Starting His Football Journey
Embolo began playing youth football at Nordstern. When he was ten, he tried out for Basel but didn't make it. So, he joined Old Boys instead.
Eventually, he was able to join FC Basel's youth system. He played for their U-13 team. In 2011–12 and 2012–13, he played for Basel's U-16 team. He helped them win the Swiss Championship twice.
He also won individual awards, like "Basel youngster of the year 2013." Just after his 16th birthday, he signed his first professional contract. In 2013, he moved up to the U-18 and U-21 teams.
Playing for FC Basel
In the 2013–14 season, Embolo joined Basel's main team. He made his professional debut on 13 March 2014. It was a Europa League game against Red Bull Salzburg.
Three days later, he played his first league game. He scored his first goal for the team just four minutes after coming on. Basel won that game 5–0 against Aarau. Basel won the league championship that season.
In the 2014–15 season, Embolo became a regular player. He scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League on 4 November 2014. Basel won that game 4–0 against Ludogorets Razgrad. He also scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a cup match.
Basel won the league championship for the sixth time in a row that season. Embolo even asked to play for the U-18 team after the senior season ended. This showed his love for the game.
In the 2015–16 season, Basel played in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League group stage. Embolo scored two goals in eight games. Basel finished first in their group. In January 2016, another club, VfL Wolfsburg, tried to buy Embolo for a lot of money. But Basel said no. Embolo won his third straight Swiss championship with Basel that season.
By June 2016, many people saw Embolo as a very promising young player in Europe. On 26 June 2016, Basel announced that Embolo was leaving the club. He had signed a five-year contract with a new team. During his time at Basel, Embolo played 91 games and scored 31 goals.
Moving to Schalke 04
On 26 June 2016, Bundesliga club Schalke 04 signed Embolo. He signed a five-year deal. He made his debut on 20 August in a cup game, scoring in a 4–1 win. A week later, he played his first league game.
He scored his first league goals for Schalke on 2 October. He scored two goals in a 4–0 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach. But soon after, he got a serious ankle injury. This injury kept him from playing for almost a year.
On 16 September 2017, Embolo returned to the field. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win.
Playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach
Embolo joined another Bundesliga club, Borussia Mönchengladbach, on 28 June 2019. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for them on 9 August in a cup match.
Fifteen days later, he scored his first goal for the club. It was in a 3–1 win against Mainz 05. On 27 October 2021, Embolo scored two goals in a big 5–0 win. This was against FC Bayern Munich in a cup game. It was a huge surprise and Bayern Munich's biggest ever loss in that cup.
Joining Monaco
On 15 July 2022, Embolo moved to Ligue 1 club Monaco. He signed a four-year deal. He made his debut on 2 August in a Champions League qualifying game.
His first league game for Monaco was on 6 August. On 13 August, he scored his first goal for the club. It was an equalizing goal in a 1–1 draw against Rennes. He scored 14 goals in 40 games during his first season.
Towards the end of the season, Embolo got a knee injury. Later, during training for the next season, he had another serious knee injury. This meant he would be out of action for a long time.
Breel Embolo's International Career
Embolo played four games for the Switzerland U16 national team. He scored his first international goal on 1 November 2012. It was in a 3–0 win against Ukraine U16.
He could have also played for Cameroon, where he was born. But in December 2014, he chose to play for Switzerland. He made his senior international debut on 31 March 2015. It was a friendly game against the United States.
On 9 October, he scored his first goal for the senior team. It was a penalty in a 7–0 win against San Marino. This win helped Switzerland qualify for UEFA Euro 2016.
Embolo was chosen to play in the Euro 2016 tournament in France. He played in group games and in the knockout stage. In the qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Embolo scored a goal against Portugal. He was then selected for the World Cup squad in Russia.
In UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, Embolo scored against Denmark. At the main tournament in 2021, he scored the first goal in their opening game against Wales.
In Switzerland's first game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Embolo scored the only goal. It was against Cameroon, the country where he was born. He chose not to celebrate out of respect. He was only the second player in World Cup history to score against his birth country. In the final group game, he scored again as Switzerland won 3–2 against Serbia. This win helped them move to the next round.
On 7 June 2024, he was chosen for the UEFA Euro 2024 squad. On 15 June, he scored a goal in stoppage time. This helped Switzerland win 3–1 against Hungary in their first match of the tournament.
Breel Embolo's Style of Play
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Experts describe Embolo as a complete striker. He is strong, good with the ball, and makes good decisions. He is very fast and can score goals well.
Fabian Frei, a former teammate, said Embolo was amazing for his age. He also said Embolo was a humble person. He is open to advice and doesn't get angry easily.
Embolo has said that Mario Balotelli inspires him. Both players are good at finding space between defenders. They also have great control and physical strength. Embolo can also play in midfield. Some say he is like N'Golo Kanté in that role. He uses his power to win the ball back and pass it to attackers.
Personal Life
When he was 18, Breel Embolo started the Embolo Foundation. This foundation helps refugee children in Switzerland. It also supports young people in his home country of Cameroon.
Embolo became a Swiss citizen on 12 December 2014. He has a daughter named Naliya, who was born in June 2018.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basel | 2013–14 | Swiss Super League | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | Swiss Super League | 27 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 1 | — | 40 | 17 | ||
| 2015–16 | Swiss Super League | 27 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | — | 40 | 13 | ||
| Total | 61 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 4 | — | 91 | 31 | |||
| Schalke 04 | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 10 | 3 | |
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 3 | |||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 20 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 28 | 6 | ||
| Total | 48 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | 61 | 12 | |||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 28 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 34 | 8 | |
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 31 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 41 | 6 | ||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 29 | 9 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 31 | 11 | |||
| Total | 88 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 1 | — | 106 | 25 | |||
| Monaco | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | — | 42 | 14 | |
| 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 5 | |
| Total | 53 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 73 | 20 | ||
| Career total | 250 | 70 | 20 | 9 | 60 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 331 | 88 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 2015 | 7 | 1 |
| 2016 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 5 | |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | |
| Total | 73 | 15 | |
- Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Embolo goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 October 2015 | AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland | 6 |  San Marino |
6–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 2 | 6 September 2016 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland | 15 |  Portugal |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 27 March 2018 | Swissporarena, Lucerne, Switzerland | 23 |  Panama |
3–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 26 March 2019 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland | 32 |  Denmark |
3–0 | 3–3 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 5 | 25 March 2021 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria | 41 |  Bulgaria |
1–0 | 3–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 12 June 2021 | Baku Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan | 43 |  Wales |
1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 |
| 7 | 12 October 2021 | LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania | 50 |  Lithuania |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 9 | 26 March 2022 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 51 |  England |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 24 September 2022 | La Romareda, Zaragoza, Spain | 57 |  Spain |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 11 | 27 September 2022 | Kybunpark, St. Gallen, Switzerland | 58 |  Czech Republic |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 12 | 24 November 2022 | Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar | 60 |  Cameroon |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 13 | 2 December 2022 | Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar | 62 |  Serbia |
2–2 | 3–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 14 | 15 June 2024 | RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany | 64 |  Hungary |
3–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
| 15 | 6 July 2024 | Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany | 68 | England |
1–0 | 1–1 (3–5 p) | UEFA Euro 2024 |
Honours and Awards
Basel
- Swiss Super League: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Swiss Cup runner-up: 2013–14, 2014–15
Individual Awards
- FC Basel Young Player of the Year: 2013
- Swiss Footballer of the Year: 2015
- Swiss Cup top scorer: 2014–15
- Swiss Super League Young Player of the Year: 2014–15
- Swiss Super League Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Swiss Super League Team of the Year: 2015–16
See also
In Spanish: Breel Embolo para niños
