Nicolas N'Koulou ends his professional career.

Nicolas N'Koulou ends his professional career.

At 35, Nicolas N'Koulou, the iconic defender of the Indomitable Lions, has announced his retirement from professional football. The former Marseille player steps away after 17 years on European and African pitches.

A true legend of the Indomitable Lions is bidding farewell to football. Nicolas N'Koulou delivered an emotional goodbye to the professional game. “I told my wife that the day I no longer had the strength to get up every morning for training, I would end my career. That moment has come, so I’m stopping,” the 35-year-old defender revealed on the set of Afrofoot.

A legendary career with the national team

Capped 120 times for the Indomitable Lions, N'Koulou was crowned African champion and scored in the final of the 2017 AFCON against Egypt. A mainstay of the squad, Nicolas N'Koulou featured in three World Cup finals: 2010, 2014, and 2022.

From Ligue 1 to Turkish second division, 9 clubs along the way.

The Cameroonian defender spent most of his career in France and Italy. Signed by Monaco in 2007 from the Kadji Sports Academy in Cameroon, he made his first-team debut in 2008 before joining Olympique de Marseille, where he won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2013. N'Koulou then moved to Lyon, followed by Torino in Serie A, and Watford in England. He wrapped up his career at Sakaryaspor in the Turkish second division.

Without a club since August 2025, the valiant captain of the Indomitable Lions has chosen to close an important chapter of his career. He now plans to return to school and continue serving football in new ways.