Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Last updated

Michel-Ange Balikwisha
Michel ange balikwisha-1691909316.png
Personal information
Full name Michel-Ange Sumai Balikwisha [1]
Date of birth (2001-05-10) 10 May 2001 (age 24)
Place of birth Ghent, Belgium
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Celtic
Number 10
Youth career
–2014 Anderlecht
2014–2020 Standard Liège
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2021 Standard Liège 32 (9)
2021–2025 Antwerp 145 (30)
2025– Celtic 1 (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)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12:31, 31 August 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 21:48, 25 June 2023 (UTC)

Michel-Ange Sumai Balikwisha (born 10 May 2001) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Scottish Premiership side Celtic. [2]

Contents

Club career

Balikwisha made his professional debut for Standard Liège on 20 September 2020 in a Belgian First Division A game against KV Kortrijk. [3]

Royal Antwerp

On 4 July 2021, Balikwisha joined Royal Antwerp on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee. [4]

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. [5]

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. [6]

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. [7] 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 2–3 defeat. [8]

Celtic

In July 2024, Scottish club Celtic approached Royal Antwerp to sign Balikwisha. [9] 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.[ citation needed ]

Celtic finally completed the signing of Balikwisha on 28 August 2025, on a five-year contract. [10] Balikwisha made his debut for the club three days later against rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

International career

Born in Belgium, Balikwisha is of Congolese descent. He is a youth international for Belgium. [11]

Personal life

Balikwisha is the brother of the footballer William Balikwisha. [12]

Career statistics

Club

As of matches played 31 August 2025 [2]
Club statistics
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup [a] EuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Standard Liège 2020–21 Belgian Pro League 329206 [b] 0—409
Antwerp 2021–22 Belgian Pro League324105 [b] 1—385
2022–23 Belgian Pro League337524 [c] 1—4210
2023–24 Belgian Pro League337307 [d] 21 [e] 14410
2024–25 Belgian Pro League16410——174
2025–26 Belgian Pro League41———41
Total118231021641114530
Celtic 2025–26 Scottish Premiership 1000000010
Career total151321222241118639
  1. ↑ Includes Belgian Cup
  2. 1 2 Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  3. ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ↑ Appearances in the UEFA Champions League
  5. ↑ Appearance in the Belgian Super Cup

Honours

Royal Antwerp

References

  1. ↑ "Aspire Academy Tri-Series Season 2016–17" (PDF). Aspire Academy. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  2. 1 2 Michel-Ange Balikwisha at Soccerway . Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Résultat Standard de Liège - KV Courtrai, Championnat de Belgique, 6e journée, Dimanche 20 Septembre 2020". L'Équipe (in French). 20 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Nu ook officieel: Michel-Ange Balikwisha krijgt zijn zin en ruilt Standard voor Antwerp" (in Dutch). nieuwsblad.be. 4 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Alderweireld earns Royal Antwerp first Belgian league title in 66 years". The Guardian. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Antwerp wint nu ook de Supercup! KV Mechelen plooit pas na strafschoppen" (in Dutch). Sporza. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Antwerp make history after qualifying for Champions League group stages for first time". Brussels Times. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "Antwerp 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 3 - Highlights". BEIN Sports. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "Celtic Open Talks to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha". msn.com. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  10. ↑ FC, Celtic (28 August 2025). "Celtic delighted to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha". Celtic FC. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
  11. ↑ "Foot-Belgique: Deux léopards sauvent le Standard de Liège". 27 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Foot-Belgique: deux léopards sauvent le Standard de Liège". 27 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "Royal Antwerp win first Belgian title in 66 years after Toby Alderweireld's stoppage-time equaliser". BBC. 4 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.


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