Yannick Carrasco


Yannick Ferreira Carrasco is a Belgian professional player who plays as a winger or wingback for La Liga club Atlético Madrid on loan from Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional, and the Belgium national team.
He began his career with Monaco, where he scored 20 goals in 105 professional games, winning Ligue 2 in his first season and finishing runner-up in Ligue 1 in the second. In 2015, he joined Atlético Madrid for a reported €20 million, scoring in the final as they were runners-up in the UEFA Champions League.
Carrasco made his international debut in March 2015. He played at UEFA Euro 2016 and was part of their squad that came third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life

Carrasco was born in Vilvoorde to a Portuguese father and Spanish mother. His father left the family when Yannick was still a child, leaving his mother, Carmen, to raise him and his brother Mylan. He has two younger half-siblings, Hugo and Celia. While initially known as "Ferreira Carrasco" at the time of his professional debut, he later chose to drop the paternal part of his Spanish-style double surname.
In 2017, Carrasco married former Miss Belgium Noémie Happart.

Club career

Monaco

Carrasco joined Monaco from Belgian club Genk in 2010
. He made his professional debut on 30 July 2012 in the opening game of the Ligue 2 season against Tours, opening a 4–0 victory at the Stade Louis II via a free kick. On 13 April 2013, he scored both goals of a 2–0 league victory over Auxerre. In his debut campaign with the club, he appeared in 27 games and scored 6 goals as Monaco won promotion back to Ligue 1.
His first top-flight goal came on 5 October 2013 against Saint-Étienne, converting a James Rodríguez cross and helping Monaco to a 2–1 victory. He scored twice in the opening 10 minutes fifteen days later as Monaco drew 2–2 away to Sochaux; the team finished their first season back at the top as runners up to Paris Saint-Germain.
On 25 February 2015, he scored the last goal of Monaco's 3–1 away win at Arsenal in the last 16 first leg of the UEFA Champions League, after replacing Dimitar Berbatov in the 75th minute.

Atlético Madrid

On 10 July 2015, Atlético Madrid announced the signing of Carrasco on a five-year deal for a reported fee of €20 million. On 18 October, he scored his first goal for Atletico in a 2–0 away victory over Real Sociedad.
On 28 May 2016, as a half-time replacement for Augusto Fernández in the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final at the San Siro, Carrasco scored Atlético's 79th-minute equaliser against Real Madrid; his team lost in a penalty shoot-out. He was the first Belgian to score in a European Cup final.
On 15 October 2016, he scored his first professional hat-trick in a 7–1 rout of Granada CF.

Dalian Yifang

On 26 February 2018, along with teammate Nicolás Gaitán, Carrasco moved to Chinese Super League newcomers Dalian Yifang, a club owned by Atléti's partial owner Dalian Wanda Group. He made his debut on 3 March in an 8–0 loss to Shanghai SIPG, and scored his first goal in his fourth match for the club on 31 March, in a 1–1 away draw with Henan Jianye, ending his club's season-opening three-game losing streak.

Atlético Madrid (loan)

On 31 January 2020, Carrasco returned to Atléti on loan until the end of 2019–20 season.

International career

Carrasco made his senior international debut on 28 March 2015, as a 69th-minute substitute for Marouane Fellaini in a 5–0 win over Cyprus in UEFA Euro 2016 qualification. He was named in manager Marc Wilmots' squad for the final tournament. On 26 June, in the last 16 in Toulouse, he scored his first international goal to conclude a 4–0 win over Hungary, after replacing Dries Mertens in the second half.
Carrasco was included in the Belgian squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup by manager Roberto Martínez. He made his debut in the opening group stage victory over Panama and was deployed as an attacking left wing back in a 3–4–3 formation.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.26 June 2016Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France
4–0
4–0
UEFA Euro 2016
2.6 September 2016GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus
3–0
3–0
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.9 November 2016Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
1–1
1–1
Friendly
4.14 November 2016King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
4–1
8–1
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.7 October 2017Stadion Grbavica, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
4–3
4–3
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.19 November 2019King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
4–1
6–1
UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Honours

Monaco
Belgium