Biography
Who is Kalidou Koulibaly?
Early life and background
Kalidou Koulibaly was born on June 20, 1991, in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France, to Senegalese parents. His father worked in a textile mill in Senegal for seven years without taking weekends off before saving enough money to bring his mother to France. Growing up in a multicultural environment, he developed an appreciation for diversity and community from an early age.
His football path began on the streets, playing barefoot with local kids and cousins in his hometown. He started his club career with local youth team Saint-Dié before joining the youth academy of Metz. Although he was initially released by Metz at age fifteen for being too introverted, he later returned to the club to launch his professional career.
Club career highlights
Kalidou Koulibaly signed his first professional contract with Metz prior to the start of the 2010-11 season and made his league debut against Vannes. He scored his first goal for the club in a match against Clermont and eventually captained the side during the 2011-12 season. In June 2012, he moved to Belgian club Genk, where he won the Belgian Cup in his first season and made forty-six appearances.
In July 2014, he transferred to Serie A club Napoli for a fee of around six and a half million pounds. During his time in Italy, he won the Supercoppa Italiana and the Coppa Italia in 2020. He later played for Chelsea before joining the Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.
International career
Eligible to represent both France and Senegal, Kalidou Koulibaly initially played for the France national under-20 team. He later chose to represent Senegal at the senior level, making his debut in 2015. He played a key role for his national team in major international tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup.
He helped Senegal reach the final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and subsequently won the tournament in 2021 by defeating Egypt in the final. He also reached the final of the tournament again in 2025, where Senegal finished as runner-up after facing Morocco.
Birthday and age
Kalidou Koulibaly was born on June 20, 1991, which makes Kalidou 35 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Kalidou shares the date with 62 other famous people.
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