Moussa Sissoko

Moussa Sissoko
Sissoko with Toulouse in 2012
Personal information
Full name Moussa Sissoko[1]
Date of birth (1989-08-16) 16 August 1989 (age 35)[2]
Place of birth Le Blanc-Mesnil, France
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Watford
Number 17
Youth career
1995–1999 Espérance Aulnay
1999–2001 Red Star
2001–2003 Espérance Aulnay
2003–2007 Toulouse
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2013 Toulouse 192 (20)
2013–2016 Newcastle United 118 (11)
2016–2021 Tottenham Hotspur 141 (3)
2021–2022 Watford 36 (2)
2022–2024 Nantes 56 (2)
2024– Watford 13 (1)
International career
2005 France U16 2 (0)
2005–2006 France U17 9 (2)
2006–2007 France U18 8 (0)
2007–2008 France U19 7 (0)
2008–2011 France U21 20 (1)
2009–2021 France 71 (2)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up 2016
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 June 2021

Moussa Sissoko (born 16 August 1989) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for and captains EFL Championship club Watford. He is a box-to-box midfielder in the centre of the pitch, and is capable of playing in either a holding midfield role, or even as an attacking midfielder, right winger or right-back.

Sissoko began his football career playing for local youth clubs in the Île-de-France region, such as Espérance Aulnay and Red Star. In 2002, he moved south to join professional club Toulouse. Sissoko spent four years in the club's youth academy and made his professional debut in the 2007–08 season, as well as making his UEFA Champions League debut. In the following season, Sissoko earned award nominations for his performances and also helped Toulouse qualify for the newly created UEFA Europa League. He eventually joined Newcastle United in the Premier League in 2013, before moving on to Tottenham Hotspur in 2016 following Newcastle's relegation from the top flight. At Tottenham, Sissoko finished runner-up in the 2016–17 Premier League and started the 2019 UEFA Champions League final. After departing Tottenham in 2021, he spent a season at Watford before joining Nantes in 2022.

Sissoko was a French youth international and played at all levels he was eligible for. In August 2009, he was called up to the senior team for the first time and made his senior international debut in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification against the Faroe Islands.[3] He made his first international start four days later in a qualifier against Austria. Sissoko was a member of the France side that finished runners-up at UEFA Euro 2016.

  1. ^ "List of Players under Written Contract Transferred Between 01/09/2016 and 30/09/2016". The Football Association. p. 5. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Moussa Sissoko". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  3. ^ "France v. Faroe Islands Match Report". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 10 October 2009. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2010.