Samuel Umtiti

Samuel Yves Um Titi (born 14 November 1993), known as Samuel Umtiti, is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Ligue 1 club Lille.

He acquired French nationality on 25 September 2008, through the collective effect of his mother's naturalization.

Umtiti was included in a Lyon squad for the first time on 16 August 2011, remaining an unused substitute as they defeated Rubin Kazan 3–1 in the first leg of the Champions League play-off round.

Umtiti began his professional career with Lyon in 2012, winning both the Coupe de France and Trophée des Champions in his first year.

He made his professional debut for the club on 8 January 2012, playing the whole match in a 3–1 victory over local rivals Lyon-Duchère in the Coupe de France.

Six days later, he made his Ligue 1 debut in a 1–0 away defeat to Montpellier, playing the entire game.

Umtiti made a total of 18 appearances across all competitions in his debut season.

In the 2012–13 season, he became a more regular member of the Lyon first team.

After winning 47 caps and scoring three goals at youth level, including winning the 2013 U-20 World Cup, he made his senior debut for the France national team at UEFA Euro 2016, where they reached the final.

On 12 January 2013, against Troyes in a 2–1 away win, he scored his first career goal.

He finished the season with 32 appearances in all competitions and two goals.

He totalled 170 games and three goals before a €25 million transfer to La Liga club Barcelona in 2016, winning three Copa del Rey and two league titles whilst a part of the side.

After a loan in Italy to Lecce, he returned to France with Lille in 2023.

Born in Cameroon, Umtiti holds both French and Cameroonian nationalities.

On 30 June 2016, Umtiti signed for La Liga side Barcelona for a fee of €25 million.

On 17 August, Umtiti made his first appearance for Barcelona in the second leg of the 2016 Supercopa de España which Barcelona won 3–0 versus Sevilla and lifted the trophy.

Umtiti picked up a knee injury in September 2016 while in Barcelona training, causing him to miss a crucial La Liga clash against Atlético Madrid.

He would later play a vital role in the 2016–17 Champions League round of 16 second leg fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, as he started the match alongside Gerard Piqué and Javier Mascherano in a 3-man central defence partnership.

Umtiti assisted his teammates in recovering from a 4–0 first leg deficit to a historic 6–1 victory, the biggest comeback in the history of the Champions League.

He would cap off his first year in Spain by winning the 2016–17 Copa del Rey and by establishing himself firmly as first-choice in central defence for the club alongside Piqué.

He scored his first goal for the club, on 4 March 2017, against Celta de Vigo with Barcelona winning 5–0 at the Camp Nou.

Now established as first-choice in defence at the club, after Barcelona's subpar 2017 Supercopa de España while reeling off the loss of Neymar, Umtiti began the season with great performances, under the guidance of new manager Ernesto Valverde.

On 2 December, Umtiti injured his right hamstring and was ruled out for eight weeks.

Umtiti scored the winning goal against Valencia CF at Camp Nou, on 14 April, in a 2–1 victory for the Catalans.

Two years later, he was part of the squad that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

He scored the only goal of the match in the semi-final against Belgium.

Umtiti was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, he moved with his family when he was two-years-old to Villeurbanne, France.

A few months later, however, the family settled in the district of Ménival in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon.

Thereafter, Umtiti joined the local football club Ménival at the age of five.

At nine years old, he joined Lyon's youth academy.

A week later, on 21 April, Umtiti started for Barcelona in the 2018 Copa del Rey Final, holding a clean sheet in an eventual 5–0 victory over Sevilla at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Additionally, Umtiti won his first La Liga winners' medal during his second season in Spain, with the defender appearing in 40 games and scoring one goal across all competitions.

On 3 June 2018, Umtiti signed a new five-year contract with Barcelona.

The release clause was subsequently set at €500 million.

Umtiti was named as a substitute for the 2018 Supercopa de España behind Piqué and a new summer signing Clément Lenglet.

Despite not featuring and with Barcelona winning the match 2–1 against Sevilla, Umtiti claimed his fifth winners' medal since joining the club.

In 2018, Umtiti picked up a knee injury which could have been treated with surgery, but he instead opted for conservative treatment, and proceeded to play in the 2018 World Cup, which he won with France.

However, this choice resulted in the defender spending much of the following season with Barcelona injured.

In August 2020, while recovering from a knee injury, Umtiti tested positive for COVID-19.

However, fitness difficulties plagued him year after year, and he was reduced to a supporting role for Barcelona.