Eric Bailly

Eric Bailly
Bailly playing for Beşiktaş in 2023
Personal information
Full name Eric Bertrand Bailly
Date of birth (1994-04-12) 12 April 1994
Place of birth Bingerville, Ivory Coast
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Columbus Crew
Number 3
Youth career
2011–2013 Espanyol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 Espanyol B 21 (0)
2014–2015 Espanyol 5 (0)
2015–2016 Villarreal 35 (0)
2016–2023 Manchester United 70 (1)
2022–2023 → Marseille (loan) 17 (0)
2023 Beşiktaş 5 (0)
2023–2025 Villarreal 22 (0)
2025–2026 Oviedo 15 (1)
2026– Columbus Crew 1 (0)
International career‡
2021 Ivory Coast Olympic 4 (1)
2015– Ivory Coast 50 (2)
Medal record
Representing  Ivory Coast
Men's football
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner2015 Equatorial Guinea
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 August 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:12, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

Eric Bertrand Bailly (French pronunciation: [eʁik bɛʁ.tʁɑ̃ baji]; born 12 April 1994) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew and the Ivory Coast national team. Although he mainly plays as a centre-back, he can also play as a right-back.

Bailly began his professional career at Spain's Espanyol, before transferring to Villarreal. He spent two seasons at the club, before signing for Manchester United in June 2016. Bailly made more than 100 appearances for United and had a loan spell at Marseille.

Bailly made his international debut for the Ivory Coast in 2015 and helped them win that year's Africa Cup of Nations. He played in two further African tournaments and the 2020 Olympics.