Born in Lyon, France, Cimignani grew up in Ghisonaccia on the island of Corsica. He joined the main club of his commune, US Ghisonaccia at only three years old and played there until he was eleven. He then joined Bastia where he stayed for three years but was forced to leave the club due to the demotion of the club to Championnat National 3 and as a result losing their academy licence. Cimignani was then contracted by Ajaccio, joining their youth setup in 2015.
On 31 January2020, Cimignani signed his first professional contract with Ajaccio. Cimignani made his professional debut with Ajaccio in a 1-0 loss to Châteauroux on 22 August 2020.
In March 2022 Yanis Cimignani received his first call-up to the France U20 national team. He made his debut on 29 March 2022, in a match against Portugal.