Biography
Who is Lorik Cana?
Early life and youth career
Born in Pristina, Lorik Cana moved frequently during his childhood due to his father Agim's football career. The family lived in Austria, Croatia, and Turkey before settling in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1990. He joined the Lausanne-Sport youth academy in 1995.
After a successful youth tournament in Spain in 2000, he attracted interest from major European clubs. He eventually joined the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy. The club helped him settle in France and assisted with his family's immigration status following the Kosovo War. He made his way to the reserve team and competed in the fourth-tier Championnat de France Amateur.
Professional debut at Paris Saint-Germain
Lorik Cana made his professional debut for Paris Saint-Germain on 19 April 2003 against Nantes. He quickly became a starter in the 2003–04 season under coach Vahid Halilhodžić. He played alongside Modeste M'bami in defensive midfield.
During that campaign, he made 32 league appearances and helped the team finish as runners-up in Ligue 1. He also played every minute of the Coupe de France final, which PSG won 1–0 against Châteauroux. He remained with PSG until August 2005, gaining valuable experience in the UEFA Champions League.
Career in France, England, Italy, and Turkey
In August 2005, he signed with Olympique de Marseille for a fee reported between 3 and 4 million euros. He became club captain in 2007 and was a key figure in the squad. In 2009, he moved to the Premier League to play for Sunderland, where he was immediately named captain.
He became the first player of Albanian origin to compete in the English top division. Later, he joined the Turkish club Galatasaray S.K. Before moving to Italy. He spent four seasons with SS Lazio, where he won the 2012–13 Coppa Italia. He finished his playing days with FC Nantes in 2015.
International career for Albania
Although eligible to play for Switzerland or France, he chose to represent Albania. He made his senior international debut in 2003 at age 19. He was appointed national team captain in 2011.
He played 94 matches for the national team, setting a record for most appearances that stood until 2025. He retired from professional football following the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament. In October 2017, the Albanian Football Association appointed him as the Grassroots ambassador for children's football in his home country.
Birthday and age
Lorik Cana was born on July 27, 1983, which makes Lorik 43 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Lorik shares the date with 27 other famous people.
Explore more
