Carlos Baleba
Cameroonian footballer (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba (born 3 January 2004) is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a central or defensive midfielder for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Cameroon national team.
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Baleba with Brighton & Hove Albion in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba | ||
| Date of birth | 3 January 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Douala, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2022 | EF Brasseries du Cameroun | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | Lille B | 13 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | Lille | 21 | (0) |
| 2023– | Brighton & Hove Albion | 92 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Cameroon | 15 | (0) |
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:22, 24 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 January 2026 | |||
Early life
Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba[1] was born on 3 January 2004 in Douala, Cameroon to Cameroonian-French parents. Baleba holds both Cameroonian and French citizenship from his parents.[2] His father is a former professional footballer who played in South Africa and Cameroon.[3] He grew up in the neighbourhood of Akwa and is of Bassa descent.[3] Baleba started playing football at Futur Soccer FC in Douala and then joined École de Football des Brasseries du Cameroun academy centre at the age of 13.[3]
Club career
Lille
Baleba was transferred to Ligue 1 side Lille in January 2022,[4][5] having already attracted the scouts of several other European clubs.[6][7] Having arrived along with another youngster, Joffrey Bazié; the two Africans first joined Lille's reserve team, that played in Championnat National 3 that season.[6][8]
Despite being in the matchday squad multiple times towards the end of the 2021–22 Ligue 1 season, Baleba's professional debut had to wait until the 2022–23 season where he would break into the first team of newly appointed manager Paulo Fonseca.[9][10][11]
Baleba made his professional debut for Lille on 7 August 2022, replacing Angel Gomes during a 4–1 Ligue 1 win against Auxerre.[12][13][14]
Brighton and Hove Albion
On 29 August 2023, Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion announced the signing of Baleba on a five-year contract.[15] According to various reports, the financial details of the transfer include an initial and base fee of €27 million, a maximum of €3 million add-ons depending on sporting conditions and a 15% sell-on clause.[16][17][18][19] Baleba made his debut for Brighton in a 3–1 home victory against Bournemouth on 24 September, coming on as a 73rd minute substitute for Mahmoud Dahoud.[20] On 8 October, Baleba made his first start for Brighton in a 2–2 draw against Liverpool.[21]
On 18 September 2024, Baleba scored his first goal in Brighton colours in a 3–2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round of the EFL Cup.[22] Just over a week later on 28 September, Baleba scored his first league goal for the Seagulls in a 4–2 loss to Chelsea.[23] On 26 April 2025, Baleba scored an injury-time winner with a powerful shot outside the box in a 3–2 victory against West Ham United, which was later voted the Premier League Goal of the Month.[24][25]
International career
Baleba made his debut for the Cameroon national team on 8 June 2024 in a World Cup qualifier 4–1 victory against Cape Verde at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium. He started the game and played 80 minutes.[26]
Balleba was included in the list of Cameroonian players selected by coach David Pagou to participate in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[27]
Style of play
Known for his stamina, dribbling and passing range, Baleba is a central midfielder who can play in a box-to-box role or as a holding midfielder. He grew up idolising Paul Pogba, Kevin De Bruyne, Thiago Alcântara as well as former Lille players Nicolas Pépé and Idrissa Gueye.[3]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 24 May 2026[28]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lille B | 2021–22 | National 3 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| 2022–23 | National 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||||
| Lille | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2023–24 | Premier League | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 34 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 40 | 4 | ||
| 2025–26 | Premier League | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 35 | 0 | ||
| Total | 92 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 112 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 126 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 148 | 5 | ||
- Includes Coupe de France, FA Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
- As of match played 9 January 2026[29]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameroon | 2024 | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 0 | |
Honours
Individual
- Brighton & Hove Albion Young Player of the Season: 2024–25[30]
- Premier League Goal of the Month: April 2025[25]