N'Golo Kanté facts for kids
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Kanté warming up for France in 2018
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | N'Golo Kanté | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 29 March 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Paris, France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Al-Ittihad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2010 | JS Suresnes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Boulogne | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Boulogne | 38 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Caen | 75 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Leicester City | 37 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2023 | Chelsea | 269 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Al-Ittihad | 61 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | France | 64 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:04, 26 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:25, 14 November 2024 (UTC) |
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N'Golo Kanté (born March 29, 1991) is a French professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Saudi club Al-Ittihad and the France national team. Kanté is famous for his incredible energy and his skill at winning the ball back. Many people consider him one of the best defensive midfielders of all time.
Kanté started his professional career with Boulogne in 2012. He then joined Caen in 2013 and helped them get promoted to Ligue 1, France's top league. In 2015, Kanté moved to Leicester City.
He was a key player when Leicester City surprisingly won the Premier League title in 2016. The next year, he joined Chelsea and won the league again. This made him the first player in a long time to win back-to-back English league titles with different clubs. With Chelsea, he also won the FA Cup, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. In 2023, he moved to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
Kanté has received many individual awards, including the Premier League Player of the Season. He also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year. For France, he was part of the team that finished second at Euro 2016. In 2018, he was a vital member of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winning squad.
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Club Career Highlights
Starting at Boulogne
N'Golo Kanté was born in Paris, France, to parents from Mali. He started playing football at age eight for a club called JS Suresnes. He stayed there for ten years. Coaches noticed that he was often overlooked by bigger teams because he was small and played very unselfishly.
In 2010, he joined the reserve team of Boulogne. He made his first professional appearance in May 2012 in a Ligue 2 match. The next season, he played almost every game in France's third division, scoring his first senior goal.
Moving to Caen
In 2013, Kanté joined Caen, a team in Ligue 2. He played in all 38 games in his first season, helping them finish third and get promoted to Ligue 1. He scored his first goal for Caen in August 2013.
In the next season, Caen stayed in the top league. Kanté played 37 games and was known for winning the ball back more times than any other player in Europe.
Success with Leicester City
In August 2015, Kanté joined Leicester City for about £5.6 million. He made his debut a few days later. In November, he scored his first goal for the club.
Kanté was a huge reason why Leicester City won the Premier League title in 2016. This was a massive surprise in football history! He was praised for his constant effort, making many tackles and interceptions. He was even named in the PFA Team of the Year. By the end of the season, he had more tackles and interceptions than any other player in the league.
Joining Chelsea Football Club
Winning Leagues and Cups
On July 16, 2016, Kanté signed a five-year contract with Chelsea for around £32 million. He was given the number 7 shirt. He made his first game for Chelsea in August 2016 against West Ham United, helping Chelsea win 2-1.
He scored his first goal for Chelsea in October 2016 against Manchester United. In March 2017, he scored the only goal in an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United. Kanté was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second year in a row. He also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, and Premier League Player of the Season awards. He became the first player since Eric Cantona to win back-to-back English top-flight titles with two different clubs. In May 2018, he won the FA Cup with Chelsea, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final.
European and World Champion
Kanté signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea in November 2018. He helped Chelsea win the Europa League in 2019, playing a key role in the final against Arsenal.
He continued to be an important player for Chelsea. In February 2021, he played his 200th game for the club. Kanté was highly praised for his amazing performances in the Champions League, especially against Spanish teams like Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. He was named player of the match in the Champions League final as Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0. Many experts said his performance was "unbelievable."
For his great play throughout the season, Kanté was named the UEFA Men's Midfielder of the Year in August 2021. In February 2022, he helped Chelsea win their first FIFA Club World Cup title.
Moving to Al-Ittihad
In June 2023, Kanté agreed to join the Saudi Professional League club Al-Ittihad. He officially moved there in July 2023 after his contract with Chelsea ended.
International Career with France
N'Golo Kanté's parents are from Mali, and he was asked to play for the Mali national team before. However, he decided to wait for a chance to play for France.
In March 2016, Kanté was chosen for the France senior squad for the first time. He made his debut against the Netherlands. On his 25th birthday, March 29, he started his first game and scored a goal in a 4-2 win against Russia.
He played in his first big tournament for France at Euro 2016. He was a key player in the opening match against Romania, making the most passes and tackles. France reached the final but lost to Portugal.
In May 2018, he was selected for the 23-man French squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played in all seven matches for France in the tournament. On July 15, Kanté started in France's 4-2 win over Croatia in the World Cup final, helping France become world champions!
In May 2021, Kanté was called up for the France squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He also helped France win the 2021 Nations League. Kanté missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to an injury.
On May 16, 2024, Kanté returned to the France squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He was named player of the match in France's opening game against Austria. He also became the player with the most matches without a defeat in the European competition, breaking a record. After the quarter-final win over Portugal, he became the first player to reach 20 consecutive undefeated matches in major tournaments.
Player Profile
How Kanté Plays Football
Kanté is known for his amazing energy and his ability to win the ball back in the middle of the field. He has a great sense of where to be on the pitch and can read the game very well. He is excellent at tackling, getting the ball back, stopping passes, and blocking shots.
Even though he's mostly known for his defending, Kanté can also start attacks. He passes the ball well and helps his team move forward quickly after winning possession. He runs up and down the field very fast and sometimes makes late runs into the opponent's box.
Kanté has said that he finds satisfaction in winning the ball back and protecting his team from attacks. He made the most tackles in Europe's top leagues for two seasons in a row (2014-15 and 2015-16). In his first 150 Premier League games, he never received a red card.
Under different coaches, Kanté has played in slightly different roles. Sometimes he played further forward, showing his skill with the ball. Other times, he played in a deeper defensive role, which helped break up opponent attacks and start quick counter-attacks.
What People Say About Kanté
Many famous football figures have praised N'Golo Kanté. In 2016, legendary manager Alex Ferguson called him the best player in the Premier League. Former Chelsea star Frank Lampard said he was the best central midfielder in the world.
His World Cup-winning teammate, Paul Pogba, joked that Kanté could outrun an entire team by himself. His former Leicester manager, Claudio Ranieri, often said Kanté had "batteries" because of his endless energy.
Thomas Tuchel, who coached Kanté at Chelsea, said, "If you play with N'Golo you have half a man more; this is unique." He also called Kanté "a big gift" and praised how humble he is. Fans often joke that "70% of the planet is covered by water and the rest by the Kanté twins," showing how much they appreciate his work rate.
Personal Life
N'Golo Kanté is a practicing Muslim. He grew up in a small apartment in Rueil-Malmaison, France. His father passed away when N'Golo was 11. His older sister also passed away before the 2018 World Cup.
He is named after King Ngolo Diarra. His younger sister also played football in the youth system at Suresnes. When he was growing up, his favorite players were Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Diego Maradona. At 21, he earned a diploma in accounting.
When he started his professional career, he used to ride a kick scooter to training. In England, he bought a Mini Hatch because it was easy to learn to drive. Kanté knows people see him as shy, but he says some stories about him are exaggerated.
His nickname is "NG." Outside of football, he enjoys playing tennis. His favorite song to sing at karaoke is Vegedream's "Ramenez la coupe à la maison." His favorite food is thieboudienne, a dish his mother cooks.
In June 2023, Kanté became a club owner in Belgium. He bought Royal Excelsior Virton, a third-division team.
Honours
Leicester City
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2016–17
- FA Cup: 2017–18
- UEFA Champions League: 2020–21
- UEFA Europa League: 2018–19
- UEFA Super Cup: 2021
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
Al-Ittihad
- Saudi Pro League: 2024–25
- King's Cup: 2024–25
France
- FIFA World Cup: 2018
- UEFA Nations League: 2020–21
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2016
Individual Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: 2015–16, 2016–17
- Leicester City Players' Player of the Year: 2015–16
- L'Équipe Team of the Year: 2016, 2017, 2018
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2016–17
- Premier League Player of the Season: 2016–17
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 2016–17
- Chelsea Players' Player of the Year: 2016–17
- Chelsea Player of the Year: 2017–18
- UNFP Best French Player Playing Abroad: 2017, 2018
- French Player of the Year: 2017
- FIFA FIFPro World11: 2018, 2021
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2018
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020–21
- UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the Season: 2020–21
Orders
See also
In Spanish: N'Golo Kanté para niños
