Yaya Touré

Lore & Background

Touré began his playing career at Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas, where he made his debut at age 18. He had stints with Beveren, Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos and Monaco, before moving to Barcelona in 2007. He played over 100 matches for Barcelona and was part of the historic team that won six trophies in a calendar year, in 2009. In 2010, Touré moved to Premier League club Manchester City, where he scored the only goals in the 2011 FA Cup semi-final and final, and helped City earn their first league title in 44 years.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at the Etihad hummed like a held breath. It was the final stretch of the 2011–12 season, and the noise was no longer a roar — it was a single, sustained note, the kind that vibrates in your chest and makes the grass feel like it's tilting. Touré received the ball thirty yards out, in that grey no-man's-land where defenders are supposed to close you down. He didn't look up. He didn't need to. The ball was already in the air, already curving, already a thing separate from his body. The keeper's gloves were still raised. The net was already moving. And the stadium — that enormous, impossible stadium — exhaled all at once, a sound like the sea finding its level after a storm. He didn't celebrate. He just turned, walked back into the midfield, and planted his feet again, as if to say: I'm not done.

Reader's Guide

Touré joined Barcelona for €10 million (£6.7 million) in 2007. In the 2009 Champions League final, he played at centre-back due to injuries and suspensions. At Manchester City, he signed a five-year contract in July 2010 for around £24 million. He scored the only goal in the 2011 FA Cup final against Stoke City. In the 2011–12 season, he set Premier League records for most passes attempted (168) and most completed (157) in a single match. He scored a brace in a 2–0 win over Newcastle United on 6 May 2012, and assisted Pablo Zabaleta's opening goal in the final-day 3–2 win over Queens Park Rangers to secure the title.

Did You Know?

• 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 is the younger brother of fellow former footballer Kolo Touré, who was his teammate at Manchester City and the national team.
• Touré earned 100 caps for the Ivory Coast from 2004 to 2015, captaining them to victory in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
• He had a trial with Arsenal in 2003 but could not secure a work permit, so he signed for Metalurh Donetsk.