Youri Marion A. Tielemans (born 7 May 1997) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Aston Villa and captains the Belgium national team. The subject of this article is in the news regarding a reported transfer, and information may be based on anonymous sources or awaiting an official announcement.
⚽ Early Career at Anderlecht
Tielemans began his career at Anderlecht, making 185 official appearances and scoring 35 goals across four seasons. He won the league title twice and in 2017 was chosen as the Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year.
He is the youngest Belgian to play in the UEFA Champions League, making his debut at age 16 years and 148 days. On 28 July 2013, he made his first-team debut in the Belgian Pro League, becoming the fourth-youngest player in the league’s history.
🇫🇷 Monaco and Leicester City
After two years at Monaco in Ligue 1, he joined Leicester City in 2019, initially on loan and then for an estimated fee of £33 million. He played 195 total games and scored 28 goals, including the only goal of the 2021 FA Cup final.
On 15 May 2021, Tielemans scored the only goal of the 2021 FA Cup Final with a long-range strike against Chelsea. He was named man of the match and later won Leicester’s Supporters’ Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards.
🦁 Aston Villa Move
In June 2023, after Leicester’s relegation, Tielemans joined Aston Villa on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract. He made his debut on 12 August in a 5–1 loss at Newcastle United.
On 26 October 2023, he scored his first goal for Aston Villa in a 4–1 away UEFA Europa Conference League victory over AZ. At the end-of-season awards for the 2024–25 campaign, Tielemans was voted both Supporters’ and Players’ Player of the Season for Aston Villa.
🇧🇪 International Career
Tielemans represented Belgium at several youth levels before gaining his first senior cap in November 2016, aged 19. He was part of the squad that came third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also featuring at UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, Euro 2024, and the 2026 World Cup.
On 3 September 2025, Tielemans was appointed as the permanent captain of the Belgian national team by manager Rudi Garcia. At the 2026 World Cup, he scored an 89th-minute equalizer against Senegal and later converted a penalty in extra time to secure a 3–2 victory.
🎯 Playing Style
Tielemans began as a holding midfielder but was moved to a more attacking role, where he scored long-range goals. Primarily a box-to-box midfielder at Leicester, he has played frequently as a number 10 under Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
During the 2024–25 season, he set a Premier League record in November 2024, completing 126 successful passes in Villa’s 3–2 victory against Everton. He has been praised for his footballing intelligence, accurate shooting, ball recoveries, and passing.
| Category | Detail | Category | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Youri Marion A. Tielemans | Date of Birth | 7 May 1997 |
| Position | Midfielder | Current Club | Aston Villa |
| National Team | Belgium (captain) | World Cup Medal | Third place (2018) |
| FA Cup Win | 2021 (Leicester City) | Europa League Final | 2026 (Aston Villa) |