Michel-Ange Balikwisha
 Balikwisha in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michel-Ange Sumaï N'Koyi Limpata Balikwisha[1] | ||
| Birth name | Michel-Ange Sumai Balikwisha[2] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 May 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Ghent, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Gent (on loan from Celtic) | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2014 | Anderlecht | ||
| 2014–2020 | Standard Liège | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Standard Liège | 32 | (9) |
| 2021–2025 | Antwerp | 118 | (23) |
| 2025– | Celtic | 7 | (0) |
| 2026– | → Gent (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Belgium U16 | 4 | (1) |
| 2018 | Belgium U17 | 5 | (1) |
| 2019 | Belgium U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2019 | Belgium U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Belgium U21 | 10 | (1) |
| 2025– | DR Congo | 5 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:11, 13 September 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 19:46, 6 January 2026 (UTC) | |||
Michel-Ange Sumaï N'Koyi Limpata Balikwisha (born 10 May 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Belgian Pro League side Gent, on loan from Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in Belgium, he plays for the DR Congo national team.[3]
Club career
[edit]Balikwisha made his professional debut for Standard Liège on 20 September 2020 in a Belgian Pro League game against KV Kortrijk.[4]
Royal Antwerp
[edit]On 4 July 2021, Balikwisha joined Royal Antwerp on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.[5]
He was part of the squad that won a domestic double during the 2022–23 season, including the club's first league title in 66 years.[6]
On 23 July 2023, Balikwisha scored a goal in the Belgian Super Cup against Mechelen. Antwerp would win on penalties to claim the trophy for the first time in their history.[7]
On 30 August 2023, he helped the club secure a spot in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever, by scoring a goal in the second leg of their 3–1 aggregate victory over AEK Athens in the play-off round.[8] He scored in Antwerp's first home match in the Champions League proper on 4 October, putting his side 2–0 up against Shakhtar Donetsk, but would squander the lead and fall to a 3–2 defeat.[9]
Celtic
[edit]In July 2024, Scottish club Celtic approached Royal Antwerp to sign Balikwisha.[10] Celtic made a second attempt to sign him on 20 August 2025 and, although the player agreed personal terms, it was reported that internal issues at his club were preventing the move from happening.[11]
Celtic finally completed the signing of Balikwisha on 28 August 2025, on a five-year contract.[12] Balikwisha made his debut for the club three days later against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
Gent
[edit]On 29 August 2026, Balikwisha joined Gent on loan until the end of the season.
International career
[edit]Born in Belgium, Balikwisha is of DR Congolese descent. He was a youth international for Belgium.[13]
On 1 November 2025, Balikwisha received his first call-up to the DR Congo national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-offs.[14] His request to switch international allegiance to the DR Congo was approved by FIFA on 11 November[1] and he made his debut in the World Cup playoff against Nigeria, scoring in a penalty shootout that helped the Leopards progress to the Intercontinental playoffs.[15]
Personal life
[edit]Balikwisha is the brother of the footballer William Balikwisha.[13]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 13 September 2026[3]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Standard Liège | 2020–21 | Belgian Pro League | 32 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | 6[c] | 0 | — | 40 | 9 | ||
| Antwerp | 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 5[c] | 1 | — | 38 | 5 | ||
| 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 33 | 7 | 5 | 2 | — | 4[d] | 1 | — | 42 | 10 | |||
| 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League | 33 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | 7[e] | 2 | 1[f] | 1 | 44 | 10 | ||
| 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 4 | ||||
| 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 118 | 23 | 10 | 2 | — | 16 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 145 | 30 | |||
| Celtic | 2025–26 | Scottish Premiership | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |
| 2026–27 | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0[g] | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Gent (loan) | 2026–27 | Belgian Pro League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0[h] | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 161 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 203 | 39 | ||
- ↑ Includes Belgian Cup
- ↑ Includes Scottish League Cup
- 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ↑ Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Conference League
Honours
[edit]Royal Antwerp
Celtic
References
[edit]- 1 2 "FIFA Change of Association Platform". knowledge.fifa.com. 11 November 2025. Archived from the original on 29 March 2026. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ↑ "Aspire Academy Tri-Series Season 2016–17" (PDF). Aspire Academy. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
- 1 2 Michel-Ange Balikwisha at Soccerway. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ↑ "Résultat Standard de Liège - KV Courtrai, Championnat de Belgique, 6e journée, Dimanche 20 Septembre 2020". L'Équipe (in French). 20 September 2020. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ↑ "Nu ook officieel: Michel-Ange Balikwisha krijgt zijn zin en ruilt Standard voor Antwerp" (in Dutch). nieuwsblad.be. 4 July 2021.
- ↑ "Alderweireld earns Royal Antwerp first Belgian league title in 66 years". The Guardian. 4 June 2023. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- 1 2 "Antwerp wint nu ook de Supercup! KV Mechelen plooit pas na strafschoppen" (in Dutch). Sporza. 23 July 2023. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ↑ "Antwerp make history after qualifying for Champions League group stages for first time". Brussels Times. 31 August 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ↑ "Antwerp 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 3 - Highlights". BEIN Sports. 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ↑ "Celtic Open Talks to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha". msn.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ↑ "Celtic move for Belgian forward held up despite scheduling medical after transfer agreement with Royal Antwerp | Goal.com US". www.goal.com. 20 August 2025. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
- ↑ FC, Celtic (28 August 2025). "Celtic delighted to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha". Celtic FC. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- 1 2 "Michel-Ange Balikwisha makes his choice between Belgium and DR Congo". Foot Africa. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ↑ "Leopards name their squad for World Cup playoffs". cafonline.com. 1 November 2025. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
- ↑ "Balikwisha makes debut mark in DR Congo World Cup play-off win". BBC Sport. 17 November 2025. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
- ↑ "Royal Antwerp win first Belgian title in 66 years after Toby Alderweireld's stoppage-time equaliser". BBC. 4 June 2023. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
External links
[edit]- Michel-Ange Balikwisha at Soccerway
- Michel-Ange Balikwisha at the Royal Belgian Football Association
|  | |
- 2001 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Ghent
- 21st-century Belgian sportsmen
- 21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo sportsmen
- Belgian people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
- Sportspeople of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
- Men's association football forwards
- Belgian men's footballers
- Belgium men's youth international footballers
- Belgium men's under-21 international footballers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo men's footballers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo men's international footballers
- Belgian Pro League players
- Scottish Professional Football League players
- 2025 Africa Cup of Nations players
- Standard Liège players
- Royal Antwerp FC players
- Celtic F.C. players
- KAA Gent players
- Belgian expatriate men's footballers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland
- Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
- Democratic Republic of the Congo expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
