Leny Yoro was born on November 13, 2005, in Saint-Maurice, France. However, he spent his early years in Alfortville. He is the first of four children born to his father, Alain Yoro, and mother, Flore Baugnies.
The talented player Yoro began playing football at UJA Alfortville when he was 5. He spent only one season at his birthplace before his family moved to the Lille area.
After relocating, Yoro continued his football development in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. Despite being quite young, he was already displaying excellent potential for becoming a prolific professional. In 2017, at the age of 12, Yoro joined Lille’s youth academy.
Although he was born in the Val de Marne region, Yoro considers Lille his home, having lived there since he was six years old. Guess what?… Leny Yoro was an avid NBA fan in his childhood days. He actually grew up idolizing athletes who were widely recognized in both soccer and basketball.
Yoro’s admiration for most of these athletes fueled his passion for football. As a result, he had an explosive growth his his sporting career. Before we delve deeper into his career life, let’s first share some intriguing information about Leny Yoro’s Family and Ancestry.
Leny Yoro Family & Ethnicity:
Many athletes often have their entire household to thank for being a solid support in their career expedition. The French national is not an exception to this reality. Of course, we saw his mother and younger siblings attend his unveiling at Old Trafford when he completed his move to Manchester United.
This goes a long way to prove that the defender has enjoyed consistent support from his family. Despite this fact, people are still left with the unanswered question; who are his parents; what is his origin, and much more?
To quench the taste of your curiosity, it is necessary to note that Leny Yoro’s ancestry is traced to two different Origins. His paternal family roots are of African descent while his maternal ethnicity comprises European descent (precisely French).
Interestingly, Yoro’s African genetics takes dominance in his physiques. His skin color and hair prove that he’s got a strong tie with his paternal ancestors. Nonetheless, he chose to represent his maternal place of Origin at youth level in international football.
Leny Yoro Father – Alain Yoro:
There are quite a handful of players who were trained by their dads before getting any official coaching from an academy. Yoro never had the luxury of enjoying such a privilege. Even though his father was a football player himself, he was not present during the childhood days of his son.
Apparently, Leny Yoro and his brothers were raised by their mother. Their parents had been divorced since they were little boys, depriving them of the privilege of living with their father.
Although he had not spent much time with his dad, Leny had inherited the athletic prowess of his old man. Do you know?… Alain Yoro also played professional football in his youthful days. He was an academy player in LOSC Lille but was mainly in the reserve team, in the 80s and 90s.
Unlike his son, Alain Yoro played in the attacking position. He also played with PSG at the end of the 90s. Looking into his ancestry, Alain is originally from the Ivory Coast. Hence, his ethnicity is of African descent.
Leny Yoro Mother – Flore Baugnies:
Becoming a professional player would have remained only but a dream without the support of Flore Baugnies. Yoro’s mom has been his prominent supporter since he first kicked a ball. Unlike his dad, the defender’s mother is of French descent.
After she and her ex-husband completed their divorce proceeding, Flore moved with her children to Bormes-les-Mimosas. They lived there for six months, before moving to Lille, to be closer to her family. That was when Yoro joined Villeneuve d’Ascq, known locally as VAM.
Following the progress of his career, Yoro’s siblings, and his mother often came to see his games at the stadium. They’ve been supportive of his soccer endeavors. No doubt, he has returned the favor by looking after his family as the oldest and most successful son of his mother.
Leny Yoro Brothers:
The defender has three younger siblings. Interestingly, his brothers are following in his footsteps and are working towards becoming professional soccer players. They all started their career at Lille Academy. Yoro’s brothers are all 2 years apart from each other. However, he is 4 years older than his immediate younger sibling.
I like to play with my little brothers. They’re 14, 12, and 10 – they play football too. They came for my signing and started playing football in the training ground because they love to play football everywhere they go.”
Leny Yoro Sisters:
He’s gotten a strong body build that could see him become an overprotective older brother. However, Yoro does not have a sister. Of course, he would have been delighted to have a female sibling considering how fun it would be to learn about life from her perspective through certain conversations.
Leny Yoro Girlfriend:
In this day and age, it is often common to wonder about the sexuality of a person. What’s even more usual to ask is whether the person is married, single, or dating. As a celebrity playing in one of the European top leagues, Yoro’s relationship status is one that has sparked too much curiosity.
Who exactly is Leny Yoro’s girlfriend? Looking through his social media handles, it is clear that the talented defender has not posted any pictures of himself with a lady who could potentially be his girlfriend.
Although we already know that this is a conservative behavior of most athletes who desire to keep their partner from the disturbance of the press, it could potentially mean that Leny Yoro is single at the moment.
Leny Yoro Career Life:
In every player’s career, there are critical moments that shape their path. These phenomena are often influenced by seemingly small events. For Leny Yoro, one such moment occurred on the 20th of October 2021, during a UEFA Youth League match between Lille Under-19s and Sevilla.
Thanks to a red card shown to Baptiste Rolland in the 79th minute for pulling the shirt of Diego Rodriguez, Yoro’s career took a new turn for good. At just 15 years old, he, who had previously played as a striker and midfielder, was brought on to fill the defensive gap for the final minutes of the match.
This marked his first appearance for Lille’s Under-19 side. Rolland’s suspension meant Yoro would start in the next Youth League fixture (a home game against Sevilla). This opportunity was vital, as it was the last time Yoro was coached by Olivier Szkwarok, who was in charge of Lille’s Under-16s at the time.
Apparently, Szkwarok had already recognized Yoro’s potential and had recommended him to the Under-19 coach, although there hadn’t been a spot for him at the time. However, once Yoro started for the Under-19s, he never returned to the Under-16s. He was outstanding on the pitch, catching the attention of scouts from Liverpool and Monaco.
Professional Career Debut:
After that game, Yoro’s progress accelerated. He quickly moved to the Under-23s, where he excelled. Lille recognized his potential and invited him to sign a professional contract and join the first team.
Interestingly, the defender signed his first professional contract with Lille in January 2022. About 5 months later, he made his professional debut at just 16 years, 6 months, and 1 day in a Ligue 1 match against Nice. Despite his young age, Yoro quickly established himself as a significant player in his team.
By the end of the 2022-23 season, he had cemented his spot in the starting line of his squad. He was handed jersey number 15 and had to put in a lot of work to surpass his predecessors.
As destiny would have it, Yoro’s debut season saw him make 13 Ligue 1 appearances. Apparently, he started 8 of those games and accumulated over 750 minutes of playing time. In the 2023-24 season, Yoro’s role in the team expanded significantly.
Leny Yoro’s Success with LOSC Lille:
He became a full-time starter as a right center-back and played in 32 out of 34 Ligue 1 fixtures. His performance was outstanding, with a total of 3,690 minutes played across all competitions. On the 24th of August 2023, the defender scored his first goal for Lille in a 2-1 victory over Rijeka in the Conference League play-off round.
No one would have thought that a teenager would display such an outstanding performance in top-tier football. Of course, Yoro proved his doubters wrong. After etching his name in the list of prolific Ligue 1 defenders, the athlete began gaining more recognition.
As expected, his achievements had gone beyond the confines of the domestic league. 2024 saw him displaying his unmatched potential as he played every minute in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals against Aston Villa.
Yoro contributed to Lille’s successful domestic season and their qualification for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League. At the end of the season, Yoro was nominated for the 2023-24 Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. He was also elected to the Team of the Year during that same period.
A Journey To Manchester United:
Leny Yoro’s remarkable season drew significant attention from many top-tier teams in the 2024 summer transfer window. He was linked with a move to Real Madrid at the earliest phase of the transfer window. However, Manchester United came in with a better proposal and won the bid to sign the French talent.
On the 18th of July 2024, Yoro joined the Red Devils on a 5-year contract for a transfer fee of about €62 million, potentially rising to €70 million with add-ons. At Manchester United, he will continue to wear the number 15 jersey previously worn by club legend Nemanja Vidić.
International Career:
On the international stage, Yoro has represented France at various youth levels. He played with the U17s in August 2021, when he was just 15 years old. With time, the athlete progressed through the ranks, playing for France’s U18s, U19s, and U21s.
His debut for the U23s came on the 22nd of March 2024, in a friendly match against Ivory Coast, as part of the preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Although initially included in the preliminary list for the Olympics, he was eventually retained by Lille due to their involvement in the UEFA Champions League qualifying phase.
Beyond football, Yoro balanced his sports career with education, graduating from high school in management sciences while studying at the Lille Academy. His early success and rapid rise in football have positioned him as one of the most promising young defenders in the world.
What is His Playing Style Like?
At 6ft 3in, Leny Yoro possesses an ideal stature for a center-back, especially when facing off against Europe’s top strikers. The right-footed defender has consistently demonstrated his comfort in holding the line as the last man at Lille. No doubt, he’s got impressive recovery speed when tracking back.
One of Yoro’s standout qualities is his ability to prevent opponents from turning past him and breaking free. He is often composed when making efforts to win back possession. This is why many French analysts have praised his exceptional reading of the game and his knack for intercepting the ball from opponents.
Even when he doesn’t manage to win the ball directly, Yoro has a talent for pressuring opponents into making mistakes. Where Yoro differs from a player like Lisandro Martinez, who is expected to be his center-back partner at Manchester United, is in his approach to duels.
Unlike Martinez, the French athlete is not an aggressive tackler. Instead, he prefers to drop back and pick the right moment to make his move. At just 18 years old, Yoro’s technique is already well-regarded, but he is expected to become even stronger as he matures.
The increased physicality of English football will likely help him develop further. It will only get interesting now that he will be paired with a more aggressive center-back partner to complement his style as his game continues to evolve.
