Lassina Traoré


Lassina Chamste Soudine Franck Traoré is a Burkinabé professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk and the Burkina Faso national team.
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Club career

Rahimo

Traoré began his football career in the youth ranks of Rahimo in his hometown of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. He was scouted by Ajax and brought to South Africa, where was stalled at the clubs' satellite club Ajax Cape Town until he was old enough to legally transfer to Amsterdam.

Ajax Cape Town

Shortly after his 18th birthday, Traoré moved to Europe joining Ajax in January 2019, on a three-and-a-half-year contract. He had previously played for Rahimo in Burkina Faso and was on the books of Ajax Cape Town in South Africa where he finished as top scorer of the reserves team before departing for the Netherlands.

Ajax

Traoré was named on the bench for the first time in Ajax's fateful second leg defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League on 8 May 2019, before making his debut in the final seconds of their 4–1 win over Utrecht in the league four days later. He would have to wait over five months for his next first-team appearance as a late substitute in a 4–0 win against Feyenoord on 27 October 2019.
On 24 October 2020, Traoré scored five goals and assisted a further three in a record-breaking 13–0 league victory over VVV-Venlo. Three days later, Traoré earned a penalty-kick and scored his first goal in European competition in a 2–2 draw away to Atalanta in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

Shakhtar Donetsk

On 18 June 2021, it was announced that Traoré had joined Ukrainian Premier League side Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee of €10 million. On 22 September, Traoré scored twice in Shakhtar's 3–0 win against rivals Dynamo Kyiv in the 2021 Ukrainian Super Cup.

International career

Traoré made his international debut for Burkina Faso on 4 May 2017, during a friendly match against Benin.

Playing style

Lassina Traoré is not remarkably tall at 1.83 m, but his muscularity makes him well suited for a physical playing style. As a team player, he is technically competent beyond being a typical ‘target man’.

Personal life

Traoré's mother was a former professional footballer and captained the Burkina Faso women's national football team. His cousin, Bertrand Traoré, is also a professional footballer, who plays as a right winger for Sunderland.

Career statistics

International

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
14 May 2017Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso1–01–1Friendly
221 May 2017Stade de l'Amitié, Cotonou, Benin1–12–2Friendly
321 May 2017Stade de l'Amitié, Cotonou, Benin2–12–2Friendly
412 November 2020Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso1–03–12021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
512 November 2020Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso2–03–12021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
65 June 2021Stade National, Abidjan, Ivory Coast1–01–2Friendly
72 September 2021Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco1–02–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification
86 June 2024Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt1–21–22026 FIFA World Cup qualification
910 June 2024Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali2–02–22026 FIFA World Cup qualification
1010 September 2024Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali1–03–12025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
1110 September 2024Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali2–03–12025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
1221 March 2025Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium, El Jadida, Morocco4–04–12026 FIFA World Cup qualification
1324 March 2025Estádio 24 de Setembro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau1–02–12026 FIFA World Cup qualification
1424 March 2025Estádio 24 de Setembro, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau2–12–12026 FIFA World Cup qualification
1531 December 2025Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca, Morocco1–02–02025 Africa Cup of Nations

Honours

Ajax
Shakhtar Donetsk
Individual