✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Samuel Umtiti

Samuel Umtiti photo for featured biography, wiki and celebrities profileFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Samuel Umtiti Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 3 min read

Request CorrectionClaim Profile

Quick Info

Date of birth14 November 1993

BirthplaceYaoundé, Cameroon

ProfessionProfessional Footballer

NationalityCameroonian, French

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyMother - Annie Ngo Um; Brother - Yannick Umtiti

Samuel Umtiti Biography

Samuel Umtiti is a Cameroonian-born French professional footballer known for his role as a central defender. A product of Lyon’s academy, he rose through a

Early life and background

Samuel Umtiti was born on 14 November 1993 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He holds Cameroonian and French nationality and was raised in a family that moved to France when he was a young child. Umtiti grew up in an immigrant community in France and developed his early footballing education there.

At age eight he joined the Lyon academy, beginning a long association with the club that would carry him from the youth ranks into professional football. During his youth career he played in several outfield positions — originally as a forward, then as a midfielder — before settling at centre back, the position where he would make his name.

Career

After more than a decade in Lyon’s youth system, Umtiti made his senior club debut for Lyon on 8 January 2012. He went on to become an important member of the team, earning recognition from supporters who voted him Lyon’s Player of the Season at the end of the 2015–2016 campaign.

Umtiti’s performances for Lyon and at youth international levels brought him to the attention of top European clubs. He signed for Barcelona on 30 June 2016 and made his first appearance for the club on 17 August against Sevilla. During the 2017–2018 season, widely regarded as a turning point in his career, he collected domestic honours with Barcelona, including the La Liga title and back-to-back Copa del Rey victories in 2016–2017 and 2017–2018.

On the international stage Umtiti progressed through France’s youth teams from under-17 to under-21 and was part of the France squad that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior international debut for France on 3 July 2016, appearing in the Euro 2016 knockout round against Iceland. France reached the final of that tournament and finished as runners-up.

Umtiti continued to contribute for club and country after his move to Barcelona. He scored his first goal for the club on 4 March 2017 against Celta de Vigo. He also opened his senior international scoring account on 13 June 2017 in a match against England.

One of the defining moments of his international career came at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he scored the only goal in France’s semifinal victory over Belgium to send Les Bleus into the final. That World Cup campaign concluded with France lifting the trophy.

Public profile

Umtiti is known by the nickname "Big Sam" and typically wears the number 22 jersey for France; he has also worn number 23 while at FC Barcelona. He has been coached at club and international level by figures such as Ernesto Valverde and Didier Deschamps.

Physically he is listed at approximately 1.83 m (6 ft) in height and around 75 kg (165 lb). Other listed measurements include a chest of 38 inches, a 33-inch waist and 13.5-inch biceps. He has black hair and black eyes.

Off the pitch, Umtiti’s tastes include admiration for players such as Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane. He has been associated with a Bentley among his vehicle choices. Umtiti’s personal life is reported as unmarried, and he has been linked publicly with Alexandra Dulauroy. His mother is named Annie Ngo Um and he has a brother, Yannick Umtiti.

Latest updates

As of the information provided, Umtiti’s club honours include a Coupe de France and Trophée des Champions with Lyon, and domestic titles with Barcelona. His career milestones include his Lyon senior debut in January 2012, his international debut in July 2016, first club goal for Barcelona in March 2017, first international goal in June 2017, and the decisive World Cup semifinal goal in 2018.

A noted incident in the public record occurred in April 2018 during Barcelona’s open-top bus victory parade for the 2017–2018 La Liga title when he poured beer over journalists while celebrating; this action drew media criticism.

Recent work

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Samuel Umtiti, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

Accuracy

Request a Correction

Tell us what needs to be updated and share a reliable source so the editorial team can review it.

Ownership

Claim This Profile

If this profile is about you or your client, send your contact details and verification context.

◈

Recent Work

Signed for Barcelona

Completed transfer from Lyon to FC Barcelona and debuted for the club on 17 August 2016.

2016
2018 FIFA World Cup

Scored the winning goal in France’s semifinal against Belgium, helping the team reach and ultimately win the tournament.

2018
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Made senior debut for Lyon on 8 January 2012
  2. Signed for FC Barcelona on 30 June 2016
  3. Made France senior debut on 3 July 2016
  4. Scored the semifinal goal vs Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
  5. Won La Liga (2017–2018) and Copa del Rey (2016–2017, 2017–2018) with Barcelona
  6. Won Coupe de France (2011–2012) and Trophée des Champions (2012) with Lyon
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Samuel Umtiti born?

Samuel Umtiti was born on 14 November 1993.

What is Samuel Umtiti known for?

Samuel Umtiti is known for professional Footballer.

What is Samuel Umtiti’s marital status?

Samuel Umtiti's marital status is listed as Unmarried.