Emmanuel Emegha

Emmanuel Emegha
Emegha with Sturm Graz in 2023
Personal information
Full name Emmanuel Esseh Emegha[1]
Date of birth (2003-02-03) 3 February 2003
Place of birth The Hague, Netherlands
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[2]
Position Striker
Team information
Current team
 Chelsea
Number 22
Youth career
KRSV Vredenburch
–2020 Sparta Rotterdam
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020 Jong Sparta 5 (1)
2020–2022 Sparta Rotterdam 36 (3)
2022 Antwerp 1 (0)
2022–2023 Sturm Graz 27 (9)
2023–2026 Strasbourg 65 (26)
2026– Chelsea 0 (0)
International career‡
2015 Netherlands U15 1 (0)
2021–2023 Netherlands U19 7 (5)
2023 Netherlands U20 1 (2)
2023–2024 Netherlands U21 6 (2)
2025– Netherlands 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19:13, 3 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 00:28, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

Emmanuel Esseh Emegha (born 3 February 2003) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Chelsea and the Netherlands national team.

Club career

Born in the neighborhood of Schilderswijk, The Hague, Emegha started playing football at Vredenburch in Rijswijk.[3]

Sparta Rotterdam

Emegha started his professional career at Sparta Rotterdam in 2020. In his first season, he played 16 matches. In the 2021–22 season, he appeared in every match until January.

Royal Antwerp

On 31 January 2022, Emegha signed a five-year contract with Royal Antwerp in Belgium.[4]

Sturm Graz

Emegha playing for Sturm Graz in 2022

In August 2022, after having played only a few minutes for Antwerp, Emegha moved to Sturm Graz in Austria and signed a contract for four years there.[5]

On 30 April 2023, Emegha started in Sturm Graz's 2-0 win over Rapid Wien in the Austrian Cup final where he assisted the go-ahead goal that was scored by Manprit Sarkaria, and would score the cup securing goal himself 15 minutes later. It was the first trophy that he won in his football career.[6]

Strasbourg

On 22 July 2023, Emegha signed for Strasbourg on a five-year deal for €13 million.[7] On 27 July 2025, Emegha was named Strasbourg captain following the transfer of former captain Habib Diarra.[8]

Chelsea

On 12 September 2025, Premier League club Chelsea announced an agreement with Strasbourg for Emegha to join the club in the summer of 2026.[9]

International career

Born in the Netherlands to a Togolese-French father and Nigerian mother, Emegha is a youth international for the Netherlands. He also holds Togolese, French and Nigerian nationalities.[10]

On 11 November 2025, he was called up to the senior Netherlands squad for the first time by manager, Ronald Koeman, after Wout Weghorst had to pull out as he was not fully fit due to his physical condition.[11] Subsequently, on 14 November 2025, Emegha made his debut for the senior Netherlands team as a late substitute for Memphis Depay in the 1–1 draw vs Poland in 2026 World Cup qualification match.[12]

Personal life

For years, Emegha spelled his first name with just one "m" citing: "I was lazy and thought one 'm' was enough”. Jong Sparta adopted that spelling, but the Royal Dutch Football Association uses the official spelling with a double "m".[13] He has a twin brother, Joshua.[14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 3 May 2026[15]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Jong Sparta 2019–20 Tweede Divisie 21————21
2020–21 Tweede Divisie 30————30
Total 51————51
Sparta Rotterdam 2020–21 Eredivisie 17110——00181
2021–22 Eredivisie 19220———212
Total 36330——00393
Antwerp 2021–22 Belgian Pro League 10———0010
Sturm Graz 2022–23 Austrian Bundesliga 27940—5[b]1—3610
Strasbourg 2023–24 Ligue 1 28831———319
2024–25 Ligue 1 271420———2914
2025–26 Ligue 1 10410—7[c]4—188
Total 652661—74—7831
Chelsea 2026–27 Premier League 000000——00
Career total 13439131001250015945

International

As of match played 17 November 2025[15]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Netherlands 202520
Total20

Honours

Sturm Graz

References

  1. ↑ https://www.rcstrasbourgalsace.fr/en/first-team-2024-2025/
  2. ↑ "Emmanuel Emegha". Chelsea F.C. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Mooiman, Ronald (27 May 2026). "Geen WK voor oud-Vredenburch jeugdspeler Emmanuel Emegha". In Rijswijk (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "THE GREAT OLD VERSTERKT ZICH MET EMANUEL EMEGHA" (Press release) (in Dutch). Antwerp. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Emanuel Emegha unterschreibt in Graz". SK Sturm (in German). Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  6. ↑ "Austria » ÖFB-Cup 2022/2023 » Final » Rapid Wien – Sturm Graz 0:2". World Football. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Emanuel Emegha joins Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace". 22 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Official | Emanuel Emegha named Strasbourg captain – Get French Football News". 27 July 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "Chelsea agree deal to sign Emanuel Emegha". 12 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Emanuel Emegha, 17, on top of the world after Sparta Rotterdam start". Score Nigeria. 28 August 2020. Archived from the original on 15 October 2020.
  11. ↑ "Emanuel Emegha called up to the senior Netherlands national team for the 1st time ever". X. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "Emanuel Emegha's debut for the senior Netherlands national team". BBC Sport. 14 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Oranje-debutant schreef zijn voornaam jarenlang verkeerd: 'Ik was lui en vond één 'm' genoeg'". AD.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  14. ↑ Vissers, Willem (16 November 2025). "Op een avond vol chagrijn fonkelt Emmanuel Emegha bij Oranje". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Emanuel Emegha". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
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