Franck Kessie
Franck Kessié: Ivorian central midfielder for Al-Ahli and the Ivory Coast national team.
Franck Yannick Kessié (born December 19, 1996) is an Ivorian professional footballer who operates primarily as a central midfielder. He currently represents Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and the Ivory Coast national team. His career is notable for securing top-flight domestic league titles in both Italy and Spain, alongside continental honors in Africa and Asia.
Key stats
- Primary Position
- Central Midfield
- Domestic League Titles
- 2
- Serie A (2021-2022), La Liga (2022-2023)
- Continental Club Titles
- 2
- AFC Champions League Elite (2024-2025, 2025-2026)
- International Titles
- 1
- Africa Cup of Nations (2023)
- Year of Birth
- 1996
- Born December 19
Career arc
Early career and Italian breakthrough
2015–2017Kessié began his senior professional career in Italy with Atalanta, which included a loan spell at Cesena. His performances in Serie A established him as a regular starter in central midfield.
AC Milan
2017–2022He transferred to AC Milan, initially on loan before completing a permanent move. He was a core component of the midfield, culminating in winning the 2021-2022 Italian Serie A title.
Barcelona
2022–2023Kessié spent one season in Spain with FC Barcelona. During this tenure, he contributed to the club winning the 2022-2023 Spanish La Liga championship.
Al-Ahli and International Success
2023–presentHe moved to the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ahli, where he won consecutive AFC Champions League Elite titles in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Concurrently, he won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast.
Current form
As of mid-2026, Kessié remains an active central midfielder for Al-Ahli, having recently secured back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles. He continues to feature in both domestic Saudi Pro League fixtures and international competitions for Ivory Coast.
Uncertainty
The primary database records omit Kessié's exact birth location, height, and weight. Furthermore, aggregate career appearance and goal totals are not provided in the available dataset, requiring cross-referencing with secondary match logs for exact figures.
Sources
- · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franck_Kessi%C3%A9 (retrieved 2026-06-04)
- · TheSportsDB, player ID 34162310 (retrieved 2026-06-04)
- · Career Honours dataset (retrieved 2026-06-04)
- · Wikipedia (Franck Kessie)
Profile generated 6/4/2026 via gemini-3.1-pro-preview. Rewritten in Factlen voice from primary sources — claims are evidence-anchored, uncertainty disclosed.