Yaya Touré
Ivorian midfield legend who powered Manchester City to their first Premier League title in 44 years.
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré (born 13 May 1983) is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of Slovak First Football League club Slovan Bratislava. Touré aspired to be a striker during his youth and has played centre-back, including for Barcelona in the 2009 UEFA Champions League final. He spent the majority of his career as a central midfielder for club and country, later regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation. One of the greatest African players of all time, Touré was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
- Position
- Central Midfielder
- Nationality
- Ivorian
- Major Honours
- Premier League, FA Cup
- Status
- Retired Legend
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Touré began his playing career at Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas, where he made his debut at age 18. His performances attracted attention from Europe. He had stints with Beveren, Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos and Monaco, before moving to Barcelona in 2007. He played over 100 matches for the club and was part of the historic Barcelona team that won six trophies in a calendar year, in 2009. In 2010, Touré moved to Premier League club Manchester City, where he scored a number of key goals, most notably the only goals in the 2011 FA Cup semi-final and final. He also helped City earn their first league title in 44 years.
In Their Own Story
The 2011–12 season came to a close with Manchester City trailing Manchester United by eight points after a defeat by Arsenal on 8 April 2012, with most writing off City's chances with six matches remaining. City then defeated West Bromwich Albion 4–0, Norwich City 6–1, and Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 while United slipped up, cutting the deficit to three points with three matches to play. A victory at home to Manchester United would move City to top on goal difference. Manchester City won the match thanks to Vincent Kompany's headed goal just before half-time. Touré's performance throughout the match garnered many plaudits in the media, described as "dominant" and "magnificent."
Reader's Guide
Touré earned 100 caps for the Ivory Coast from 2004 to 2015, representing the nation at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He also represented them in six Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015, helping them finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012, while captaining them to victory in 2015. He is the younger brother of fellow former footballer Kolo Touré who was his teammate at Manchester City and the national team.
Did You Know?
- Touré made his Premier League debut on 14 August 2010 in a 0–0 away draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
- Touré scored his first City goal on 19 September against Wigan Athletic, assisted by Carlos Tevez.
- Touré assisted Pablo Zabaleta's opening goal in the 39th minute on the final day of the 2011–12 season.
More in Legendary Players & Icons
Elsewhere in the Manchester City universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record