Benoît Ntambue Badiashile Mukinayi Baya (born 26 March 2001) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Chelsea and the France national team.
Early life
Benoît Ntambue Badiashile Mukinayi Baya was born on 26 March 2001 in Limoges, Haute-Vienne. He is of Congolese descent.
Club career
Monaco
On 5 February 2018, Badiashile signed his first professional contract with Monaco. On 11 November, he made his professional debut in a 4–0 Ligue 1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea
On 5 January 2023, Badiashile signed for Premier League club Chelsea on a seven-and-a-half-year contract for a transfer fee reported by The Guardian to be £32.7 million (€37 million). On 15 January 2023, Badiashile made his debut for Chelsea, as he started against Crystal Palace in the Premier League. The French defender played the entire game and earned his new club a clean sheet as Chelsea won 1–0.
International career
Badiashile is a senior international for France, having been a part of a number of under-16 to under-21 teams since 2016.
Badiashile received his first call-up to the France national team for two UEFA Nations League matches against Austria and Denmark in September 2022.
Style of play
Badiashile often opts to keep play moving and picks out wingers with long balls, switching the play regularly. He is a very good passer of the ball and therefore, plays a key role in starting attacks from the back.
Personal life
Badiashile is the younger brother of Loïc Badiashile, who is also a professional footballer.