Yussuf Poulsen

Yussuf Poulsen
Poulsen in 2016
Personal information
Full name Yussuf Yurary Poulsen[1]
Date of birth (1994-06-15) 15 June 1994
Place of birth Copenhagen, Denmark
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Hamburger SV
Number 15
Youth career
Skjold
–2011 Lyngby
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Lyngby 35 (11)
2013–2025 RB Leipzig 330 (77)
2025– Hamburger SV 15 (1)
International career‡
2010 Denmark U16 1 (0)
2010–2011 Denmark U17 19 (2)
2011–2012 Denmark U18 7 (10)
2012–2013 Denmark U19 12 (8)
2012 Denmark U20 3 (0)
2013–2015 Denmark U21 15 (4)
2013 Denmark League XI 1 (0)
2013–2024 Denmark 86 (14)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:54, 18 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:47, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

Yussuf Yurary Poulsen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈjusuf ˈpʰʌwlsn̩]; born 15 June 1994) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bundesliga club Hamburger SV. He sometimes uses Yurary as his shirt name.

After starting his professional career with Lyngby, he transferred to RB Leipzig in 2013, helping them from the 3. Liga to the Bundesliga in the space of three seasons. He holds the RB Leipzig record for most appearances with over 300, and has scored over 80 goals for the club. He played in the DFB-Pokal final in 2019 and 2021.

Poulsen made his international debut for Denmark in 2014 and has earned over 80 caps. He was part of their squad at the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022, and the UEFA European Championship in 2020 and 2024, reaching the semi-finals of the 2020 tournament.

Early life

Poulsen was born to a Tanzanian father and a Danish mother.[3] His father worked on a container ship, oscillating between Tanga and Denmark before he settled in Copenhagen.[4] He died of cancer when Poulsen was six years old.

Club career

Early career

Poulsen began playing football at Skjold. At first he was a defensive player and in Kenneth Zohore he had a teammate, with whom he was to play later in the Danish youth national teams. After Zohoré joined Copenhagen, Poulsen was moved to a position as a striker.[4]

Lyngby

At the age of 14 he joined the youth ranks of Lyngby. He played his first match as a senior on 4 December 2011, when he came on the pitch against Horsens after 84 minutes, as a substitute for Mathias Tauber. Poulsen did not immediately establish himself in the starting eleven, and he was at the end of the season only on five appearances. His club, Lyngby were also relegated from Superligaen. 5 August 2012 he scored his first goal at senior level, as well as for his club, when he in the second match in the 1. Division (second Danish league) scored the 1-0 winning goal against AB. He was a regular player in the starting 11, and played 32 matches, scoring eleven goals.[5]

RB Leipzig

His achievements attracted the interest of foreign and domestic clubs, and on 3 July 2013, he signed a contract with the newly promoted 3. Liga German side RB Leipzig.[4][6] He made his club debut on 19 July 2013 in a 1–0 win at Hallescher FC,[7] and scored his first goals in a 2–0 home win over Rot-Weiss Essen on 24 August,[8] and netted two more in the final game on 10 May 2014 to win 3–1 against Stuttgarter Kickers.[9] He finished the 2013–14 season with 10 goals in 36 appearances as his team were promoted as runners-up.[10]

In his first season in the 2. Bundesliga, Poulsen scored 12 goals in 32 appearances during the 2014–15 season as his team came fifth.[10] He was sent off on 23 February in a 1–1 draw at Eintracht Braunschweig.[11]

Poulsen in action for Leipzig against Zenit in October 2019

Poulsen scored seven goals in 32 appearances during the 2015–16 season as RB Leipzig won promotion as runners-up to SC Freiburg.[10] On 28 August 2016, he played in RB Leipzig's first Bundesliga match,[12] and in the sixth match of the 2016–17 season, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 2–1 victory at home against FC Augsburg on 30 September.[13][10] He finished the 2016–17 season with five goals in 30 appearances.[10]

Poulsen finished the 2017–18 season five goals in 41 appearances.[10] This included one on 14 October 2017 in a 3–2 win at Borussia Dortmund, the hosts' first home defeat in 41 games.[14]

On 30 March 2019, during a 5–0 win over Hertha BSC, he became the first-ever Leipzig player to score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga and in the process helped the club record its 50th ever win in the competition. His treble also took him to 15 league goals for the campaign which meant he became only the third Danish player, after Ebbe Sand and Allan Simonsen to score more than 14 Bundesliga goals in a single season.[15] In the same month, he extended his contract by a year to 2022.[16] His team were runners-up in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final; he scored in 3–1 wins in the first round at Viktoria Köln[17] and the semi-final at Hamburger SV.[18]

Poulsen became the first Leipzig player to 250 appearances on 24 May 2020, when he scored in a 5–0 win at Mainz 05.[19] He was then ruled out for the rest of the season with ankle ligament damage.[20] He scored five times on the way to the 2021 DFB-Pokal final, including two in a 4–0 home win over VfL Bochum in the last 16.[21] On 28 October 2021, he reached 300 matches in a 2–1 home loss to Club Brugge in the Champions League group stage.[22]

Hamburger SV

On 13 July 2025, after 12 years in Leipzig, Poulsen signed with fellow Bundesliga club Hamburger SV.[23] A month later, he was named as club's captain ahead of the 2025–26 season.[24] His debut for the club was delayed while recovering from injury before he made his first appearance for the club in a scoreless draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 24 August, coming into the match as a substitute.[25] On 7 December, he scored his first goal for the club in the Nordderby. Coming on as a substitute in the 83rd minute, Poulsen scored with his first touch of the ball in the 84th minute, giving Hamburger a 3–2 win over rival Werder Bremen.[26]

The first half of the 2025–26 season for Poulsen saw him miss regular playing time due to a series of injuries.[27] After missing games early in the season with an undisclosed injury, he was sidelined again from December to February 2026 with an ankle injury.[28] In March, after injuring his thigh during training, it was confirmed he would miss additional time.[29] He returned to the team on 2 May, playing for seven minutes in a 2–1 win.[5] He finished the season with 16 total appearances and one goal for the club.[5]

International career

Poulsen was eligible to play for Tanzania but did not receive any offers from the Tanzanian federation; as a result, he chose to represent his native Denmark.[30][31] He made his debut for the Danish national team on 30 January 2013 against Mexico.[32] On 13 June 2015, he scored his first goal for his country, against Serbia in a 2–0 win. Poulsen was selected in Denmark's squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics, however he rejected the call-up in order to cement his place at Leipzig.[33][34] In May 2018, he was named in Denmark's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[35] On 16 June, he scored the lone goal in their opening game against Peru, and was named man of the match. Earlier in the game he conceded a penalty with a foul on Christian Cueva, which the Peruvian missed.[36]

Poulsen was part of the Danish squad that reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2020 in the summer of 2021. He scored his first goal in the European Championship in a 2–1 defeat to Belgium on 17 June,[37] adding another four days later in a 4–1 win over Russia.[38] He was also part of the Danish squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[39]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 August 2026[5]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lyngby 2011–12 Danish Superliga 5000——50
2012–13 Danish 1st Division 301121——3212
Total 351121——3712
RB Leipzig 2013–14 3. Liga 361010——3710
2014–15 2. Bundesliga 291131——3212
2015–16 2. Bundesliga 32720——347
2016–17 Bundesliga 29510——305
2017–18 Bundesliga 304219[b]0—415
2018–19 Bundesliga 3115628[c]2—4519
2019–20 Bundesliga 225308[d]0—335
2020–21 Bundesliga 275658[d]1—4111
2021–22 Bundesliga 256319[e]0—377
2022–23 Bundesliga 192425[d]000284
2023–24 Bundesliga 285207[d]01[f]0385
2024–25 Bundesliga 222126[d]1—295
Total 3307734146041042595
Hamburger SV 2025–26 Bundesliga 15110——161
2026–27 Bundesliga 0010——10
Total 15120——171
Career total 38089381560410479108
  1. ↑ Includes Danish Cup, DFB-Pokal
  2. ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. ↑ Appearance in DFL-Supercup

International

As of match played 18 November 2024[40]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Denmark 201310
201430
201582
201671
201760
2018122
201972
202070
2021154
202230
202371
2024112
Total8614
As of match played 18 November 2024. Denmark score listed first, score column indicates score after each Poulsen goal[41]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 13 June 2015Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark5 Serbia1–02–0UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
2 17 November 2015 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark11 Sweden1–22–2 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
3 8 October 2016National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland16 Poland2–32–32018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 9 June 2018Brøndby Stadium, Brøndby, Denmark28 Mexico1–02–0Friendly
5 16 June 2018Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Russia29 Peru1–01–02018 FIFA World Cup
6 10 June 2019Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark39 Georgia4–15–1UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
7 12 October 2019 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark42  Switzerland1–01–0 UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
8 2 June 2021Tivoli Stadion Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria53 Germany1–11–1Friendly
9 17 June 2021Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark56 Belgium1–01–2UEFA Euro 2020
10 21 June 2021 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark57 Russia2–04–1 UEFA Euro 2020
11 7 September 2021 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark62 Israel1–05–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
12 17 October 2023San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino73 San Marino2–12–1UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
13 8 June 2024Brøndby Stadium, Brøndby, Denmark79 Norway3–13–1Friendly
14 8 September 2024Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark84 Serbia2–02–02024–25 UEFA Nations League

Honours

RB Leipzig

Individual

Personal life

In 2015, Poulsen founded a café in Copenhagen called Social with his friends Sebastian Streit Jeppesen and Frederik Nemo Andersen.[49] The café is known for its coffee and vegan food.[50]

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Denmark" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
  2. ↑ "Yussuf Poulsen | Player Profile | 2023-2024 | RB Leipzig".
  3. ↑ "Unterschrieben: Yussuf Poulsen verstärkt RB Leipzig – erste Einsätze am Wochenende" [Signed: Yussuf Poulsen reinforces RB Leipzig – first appearances at the weekend] (in German). Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH (publisher) (2013). "AUS DEM KLUBMAGAZIN: Yussuf Yurary Poulsen UND SEIN WEG ZU RB LEIPZIG!". DIE ROTEN BULLEN (Vereinswebsite von RB Leipzig) (in German). Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Y. Poulsen". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Olympia Verlag GmbH (publisher) (4 July 2013). "Poulsen wird ein roter Bulle" [Poulsen becomes a red bull]. kicker online (in German). Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  7. ↑ "Ausschreitungen nach RB-Leipzig-Gastspiel in Halle" [Rioting after RB Leipzig guest match in Halle] (in German). T-Online. 20 July 2013. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "Poulsen rechtfertigt Zornigers Vertrauen" [Poulsen justifies Zorniger's trust]. Kicker (in German). 24 August 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Roth, Matthias (10 May 2014). "Röttger schenkt RB Leipzig zum Abschied ein Tor" [Röttger gives RB Leipzig a goal as a farewell] (in German). Sport Buzzer. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Yussuf Poulsen". Kicker (in German). kicker. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "1:1 in Braunschweig: Leipzig kann Aufstieg fast abschreiben" [1:1 in Braunschweig: Leipzig can almost write off promotion] (in German). Mannheim 24. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Bundesliga debutants Leipzig earn draw at Hoffenheim". Bundesliga. 28 August 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  13. ↑ "Record-setting Leipzig up to third after beating Augsburg". DW.COM. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  14. ↑ Brassell, Andy (16 October 2017). "Leipzig get revenge on Dortmund in clash of pretenders to Bayern throne". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Yussuf Poulsen hits hat-trick as five-star RB Leipzig rout Hertha Berlin". Bundesliga. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  16. ↑ "Yussuf Poulsen renews RB Leipzig deal to 2022". beIN Sports. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  17. ↑ "Poulsen and Forsberg rescue tired RB Leipzig in German Cup". Be Soccer. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  18. ↑ "RB Leipzig book place in DFB Cup final for the first time with victory in Hamburg". Bundesliga. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  19. ↑ "Timo Werner nets hat-trick as RB Leipzig hammer Mainz". Bundesliga. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  20. ↑ "Yussuf Poulsen: RB Leipzig captain suffers ankle ligament injury". The Independent. 26 May 2020. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  21. ↑ "Yussuf Poulsen double helps RB Leipzig past Bochum and into DFB Cup quarter-finals". Bundesliga. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  22. ↑ Schäfer, Guido (29 September 2021). "Zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit klafft bei RB Leipzig der Grand Canyon" [There is a Grand Canyon-sized gap between expectation and reality at RB Leipzig] (in German). Sport Buzzer. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  23. ↑
  24. ↑ "Yussuf Poulsen named new HSV captain". Hamburger SV. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  25. ↑
  26. ↑ "Hamburg win thrilling Nordderby as Yussuf Poulsen scores late winner against Werder Bremen". Bundesliga. 7 December 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  27. ↑ Brassell, Andy (8 December 2025). "Hamburg bloody Werder Bremen's nose with winner in breathless Nordderby". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  28. ↑
  29. ↑ Ahlquist, Valdemar (12 March 2026). "Yussuf Poulsen ramt af ny skade: Ude i adskillige uger" [Yussuf Poulsen hit by new injury: Out for several weeks]. Bold (in Danish). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  30. ↑ Lyngholm, Johan (10 October 2014). "Venner fra barnsben: Yussuf Poulsen hjælper Højbjerg igennem sorgen". B.T. (in Danish). Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  31. ↑ Mikkelsen, Jeppe Melchior; Lyngholm, Johan (14 June 2015). "Derfor brød Pierre-Emile sammen i gråd: Poulsen og Højbjerg har en fælles fortid" [Therefore Pierre-Emile broke down in tears: Poulsen and Højbjerg have a common past]. B.T. (in Danish). Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "Mexico vs. Denmark - 31 January 2013". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  33. ↑ Freedland, Jonathan (17 July 2026). "33WIN". Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "Olympics: Dane turns down Rio to prepare for Bundesliga". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists | Goal.com UK". www.goal.com. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  36. ↑ "Relieved 'bad guy' Poulsen ruins Peru's World Cup return". CNA. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "Denmark 1–2 Belgium". UEFA. 17 June 2021. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020.
  38. ↑ Flood, George (22 June 2021). "Russia 1–4 Denmark: Danes to face Wales in Euros last 16 after thumping win in Copenhagen". Evening Standard. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  39. ↑ "De første spillere til VM-truppen er fundet" [The first players for the World Cup squad have been selected] (in Danish). Danish Football Association. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  40. ↑ "Yussuf Poulsen". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  41. ↑ "Yussuf Yurary Poulsen". DBU. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  42. ↑ Peeters, Thomas (23 May 2022). "A thriller in Berlin: how relentless RB Leipzig won their first major title". Red Bull. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  43. ↑ "Christopher Nkunku-inspired RB Leipzig beat Eintracht Frankfurt to win DFB Cup". Bundesliga. 3 June 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  44. ↑ "Bayern Munich win German Cup after Lewandowski cuts down RB Leipzig". The Guardian. 25 May 2019. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  45. ↑ "RB Leipzig 0 Bayern Munich 3". BBC Sport. 25 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  46. ↑ "4:1 gegen Leipzig: Dortmund feiert fünften Pokalsieg" [4–1 against Leipzig: Dortmund celebrates fifth cup win]. DFB.de (in German). German Football Association. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  47. ↑ Lisjak, Mitja (12 August 2023). "Olmo s hat-trickom pokvaril veliki debi Kana pri Bayernu" [Olmo ruins Kane's big debut at Bayern with a hat-trick] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  48. ↑ "Bundesliga Goal of the Month". Bundesliga. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  49. ↑ "The Sprudge Guide To Copenhagen Coffee For 2023 | Sprudge Coffee". sprudge.com. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  50. ↑ "Visit Copenhagen - Social". Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
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