Ilari Kangasniemi
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ilari Akseli Kangasniemi | ||
| Date of birth | 22 April 2007 | ||
| Place of birth | Seinäjoki, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Leicester City | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sepsi-78 | |||
| –2023 | SJK | ||
| 2024–2025 | Inter Milan | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | SJK Akatemia II | 12 | (0) |
| 2023 | SJK Akatemia | 6 | (0) |
| 2025 | Inter Turku II | 4 | (0) |
| 2025–2026 | Inter Turku | 16 | (1) |
| 2026– | Leicester City | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023 | Finland U16 | 2 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Finland U17 | 12 | (0) |
| 2023 | Finland U18 | 4 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Finland U19 | 14 | (1) |
| 2026– | Finland U21 | 2 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 25 August 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 August 2026 | |||
Ilari Akseli Kangasniemi (born 2 May 2007) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a centre back for EFL League One club Leicester City.
Early career
Kangasniemi began with local side Sepsi-78 before advanced through the ranks of the youth sector of SJK Seinäjoki.[1]
In 2022, he made his senior debuts with the club's youth teams, playing in the sixth-tier Vitonen and the fourth-tier Kolmonen.[2]
Club career
During the 2023 season, Kangasniemi made six appearances with the club's academy squad SJK II, playing in Finnish second-tier Ykkönen. He also made one appearance in 2023 Finnish Cup for SJK II. On 25 September 2023, his deal with SJK academy was extended.[3][4]
On 31 January 2024, Kangasniemi moved to Italy and signed a permanent contract with Inter Milan for an undisclosed fee. He was registered as a youth player in Inter Milan U17 squad.[5][6][7]
On 26 August 2025, Kangasniemi returned to Finland and signed with Veikkausliiga club Inter Turku on a deal until the end of 2028.[8] On 11 April 2026, he scored his first league goal, a winning goal on a stoppage time in a 2–1 home win over Ilves.[9]
On 26 August 2026, he joined Leicester City on a five year contract,[10][11] for a €2.5 million fee, making it the record transfer fee of Veikkausliiga.[12]
International career
Kangasniemi is a regular Finnish youth international, and has represented his country at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level.[13][14]
Personal life
His father Tapio is a Finnish volleyball player who has represented the Finland men's national volleyball team.[15]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| SJK Akatemia III | 2022 | Vitonen | 5 | 1 | – | – | – | 5 | 1 | |||
| SJK Akatemia II | 2022 | Kolmonen | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2023 | Kolmonen | 11 | 0 | – | – | – | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| SJK Akatemia | 2023 | Ykkönen | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 7 | 0 | ||
| Inter Turku II | 2025 | Ykkönen | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | 4 | 0 | |||
| Inter Turku | 2025 | Veikkausliiga | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2026 | Veikkausliiga | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 6[b] | 0 | 30 | 4 | |
| Total | 16 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 4 | ||
| Leicester City | 2026–27 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 43 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 60 | 5 | ||
- ↑ Includes Finnish Cup
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Conference League
References
- ↑ "Ilari Kangasniemi Makes Leicester City Switch". LCFC. 26 August 2026. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
- ↑ "I.Kangasniemi". Tulospalvelu Palloliitto, Finnish FA.
- ↑ Kangasniemi ja Harju SJK:n jalkapallolukioon, sjk.fi, 25 September 2023
- ↑ SJK uusiin pelaajasopimuksiin nuorten lupausten kanssa, Veikkausliiga, 25 September 2023
- ↑ UFFICIALE – Inter, colpo in prospettiva: preso il difensore 2007 Kangasniemi, fcinter1908.it, 31 January 2024
- ↑ Chi è Ilari Kangasniemi, il nuovo colpo UFFICIALE dell'Inter, calciomercato, 31 January 2024
- ↑ Ilari Kangasniemi debytoi milanolaisjätti Interissä, palloliitto.fi, 21 February 2024
- ↑ Pitkä topparilupaus Ilari Kangasniemi siirtyy Milanon Interistä FC Interiin, interturku.fi, 26 August 2025
- ↑ Paita pois ja juhlimaan – Interin 18-vuotias toppari iski lisäajan lisäajalla, Turun Sanomat, 11 April 2026
- ↑ Ilari Kangasniemi Makes Leicester City Switch, lcfc.com, 26 August 2026
- ↑ "Ilari Kangasniemi: Leicester City sign Finnish centre-back". BBC Sport. August 26, 2026.
- ↑ Ylen tiedot: Ilari Kangasniemi jättisiirrolla Englantiin – FC Inter kuittaa ennätyssumman, Yle, 26 August 2026
- ↑ U18-pojat nimetty Itävalta-tuplamaaotteluun, Finnish FA, 30 October 2023
- ↑ U17-pojat nimetty vuoden avausmaaotteluihin Portugalia vastaan, Veikkausliiga, 15 January 2024
- ↑ x, Juuso Raja-Aho
- ↑ Ilari Kangasniemi stats, Football Association of Finland
- ↑ Ilari Kangasniemi at Soccerway
External links
- Ilari Kangasniemi at Soccerway
- Ilari Kangasniemi at WorldFootball.net
- Living people
- 2007 births
- Finnish men's footballers
- 21st-century Finnish sportsmen
- Men's association football defenders
- Kolmonen players
- Ykkönen players
- Veikkausliiga players
- SJK Akatemia players
- Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho players
- Inter Milan players
- FC Inter Turku players
- Leicester City F.C. players
- Finland men's youth international footballers
- Finnish expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
- Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Finnish expatriate sportspeople in England
- Finland men's under-21 international footballers