Michael Folorunsho

Michael Folorunsho

Personal information
Full name	Michael Ijemuan Folorunsho
Date of birth	(1998-02-07) 7 February 1998 (age 27)
Place of birth	Rome, Italy
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) [1]
Position	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Cagliari (on loan from Napoli)
Number	90
Youth career
	Tor Sapienza
0000–2014	Savio
2014–2017	Lazio
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017–2019	Virtus Francavilla	61	(8)
2019–	Napoli	6	(0)
2019–2020	→ Bari (loan)	12	(0)
2020–2021	→ Reggina (loan)	30	(6)
2021–2022	→ Pordenone (loan)	16	(2)
2022	→ Reggina (loan)	15	(2)
2022–2023	→ Bari (loan)	27	(8)
2023–2024	→ Hellas Verona (loan)	34	(5)
2025	→ Fiorentina (loan)	14	(0)
2025–	→ Cagliari (loan)	0	(0)
International career‡
2024–	Italy	2	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 June 2024

Michael Ijemuan Folorunsho (born 7 February 1998) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Cagliari, on loan from Napoli. He also plays for the Italy national team.

Club career

Folorunsho spent his youth years with Lazio and played for their Under-19 squad. ^[2] On 18 July 2017, he signed with Serie C club Virtus Francavilla. ^[3] Folorunsho made his professional Serie C debut for Virtus Francavilla on 26 August 2017, in a game against Lecce. ^{[4] [ better source needed ]} He played 60 Serie C games for Virtus Francavilla in the two seasons. ^[2]

On 13 July 2019, Folorunsho signed for Serie A club Napoli on a permanent deal. ^[5] He was sent on loan two days later to Serie C club Bari for two years. ^[6] Napoli sent Folorunsho on loan to several clubs in the Serie B: Reggina in 2020–21, ^[7] Pordenone ^[8] and Reggina ^[9] in 2021–22, and Bari in 2022–23. ^[10]

On 16 August 2023, Folorunsho agreed to join Serie A club Hellas Verona on loan for the duration of the 2023–24 season. ^[11]

On 11 January 2025, Folorunsho signed for Fiorentina on loan with an option to make the deal permanent. ^[12]

On 24 July 2025, he was loaned out to Cagliari, with an option to buy. ^[13]

International career

In March 2024, Folorunsho received his first call-up to play for Italian senior squad from head coach Luciano Spalletti. ^{[14] [15]} However, he remained on the bench during friendly games with Venezuela and Ecuador played in the United States. Later that year, on 6 June, Folorunsho was included in the Italian squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. ^[16] On 9 June, he debuted in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Stadio Carlo Castellani, coming as a substitute to goalscorer Davide Frattesi in the 76th minute as Italy won 1–0. ^[17]

Personal life

Folorunsho is of Nigerian descent. ^[18]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 11 May 2025 ^[19]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Coppa Italia		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Lazio	2016–17	Serie A	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
Virtus Francavilla	2017–18	Serie C	28	1	2	0	1 [a]	0	31	1
	2018–19	Serie C	31	7	1	0	3 [b]	0	35	7
	Total		59	8	3	0	4	0	66	8
Napoli	2019–20	Serie A	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2024–25	Serie A	6	0	1	0	—		7	0
	Total		6	0	1	0	0	0	7	0
Bari (loan)	2019–20	Serie C	12	0	0	0	3 [c]	0	15	0
Reggina (loan)	2020–21	Serie B	30	6	2	0	—		32	6
Pordenone (loan)	2021–22	Serie B	16	2	1	1	—		17	3
Reggina (loan)	2021–22	Serie B	15	2	—		—		15	2
Bari (loan)	2022–23	Serie B	27	8	2	1	3 [d]	0	32	9
Hellas Verona (loan)	2023–24	Serie A	34	5	0	0	—		34	5
Fiorentina (loan)	2024–25	Serie A	14	0	—		5 [e]	0	19	0
Career total			213	31	9	2	15	0	237	33

1. Appearance in Coppa Italia Serie C
2. One appearance in Coppa Italia Serie C, two appearances in Serie C promotion play-offs
3. Two appearances in Coppa Italia Serie C, one appearance in Serie C promotion play-offs
4. Appearances in Serie B promotion play-offs
5. Appearances in UEFA Conference League

International

As of match played 15 June 2024 ^[20]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Italy	2024	2	0
Total		2	0

Honours

Individual

• Serie A Goal of the Month: February 2024 ^[21]

References

1. "| Hellas Verona Official Website". Hellas Verona FC. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
2. Michael Folorunsho at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
3. "Michael Ijemuan Folorunsho è un nuovo calciatore della Virtus Francavilla Calcio" (Press release) (in Italian). Virtus Francavilla. 18 July 2017.
4. "Virtus Francavilla v Lecce game report". Soccerway. 26 August 2017.
5. "Michael Folorunsho ceduto all'SSC Napoli" (Press release) (in Italian). Virtus Francavilla. 13 July 2019.
6. "Benvenuti Costa e Folorunsho" (Press release) (in Italian). Bari. 15 July 2019.
7. "Michael Folorunsho è un calciatore amaranto" (Press release) (in Italian). Reggina. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
8. ""The Mask" Folorunsho | Top Player della B 20/21 | è Neroverde!" (Press release) (in Italian). Pordenone. 10 August 2021.
9. "Michael Folorunsho torna in Amaranto" (Press release) (in Italian). Reggina. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
10. "Bentornato Michael Folorunsho!". Bari Calcio (in Italian). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
11. "Michael Folorunsho is a new Hellas Verona player". Hellas Verona. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
12. "Official: Fiorentina announce Folorunsho signing from Napoli". football-italia.net. 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
13. "Folorunsho al Cagliari" [Folorunsho to Cagliari] (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
14. "28 players called up for the friendlies with Venezuela and Ecuador: Bellanova, Folorunsho, and Lucca the newcomers". Italian Football Federation . 15 March 2024.
15. "Spalletti's three new players' Azzurri CV. Bellanova from the U15s to the senior side". Italian Football Federation. 16 March 2024.
16. "Ufficializzati i convocati per EURO 2024, esclusi dalla lista Provedel, Ricci e Orsolini" [EURO 2024 squad made official, Provedel, Ricci and Orsolini excluded from the list]. Italian Football Federation (in Italian). 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
17. "Italia 1–0 Bosnia: Stop e tiro al volo di Scamacca che sfiora il raddoppio" . Il Messaggero (in Italian). 9 June 2024. Dentro Folorunsho (debutto in Nazionale) e Raspadori che prendono il posto di Frattesi e Chiesa al minuto 77'.[Folorunsho, who debuted for the national team, and Raspadori, replace Frattesi and Chiesa in the 77th minute.]
18. Di Matteo, Alessia (25 July 2022). "Michael Folorunsho biografia: chi è, età, altezza, peso, tatuaggi, figli, moglie, carriera, Instagram e vita privata". Spettegolando (in Italian). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
19. Michael Folorunsho at Soccerway . Retrieved 18 June 2024.
20. "Convocazioni e presenze in campo: Michael Folorunsho Ijemua" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
21. "Michael Folorunsho Wins February's Goal of the Month Presented by Crypto.com". Serie A. 6 March 2024.

External links

• Michael Folorunsho at Soccerway