M'Bala Nzola
 Nzola with Virtus Francavilla in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 August 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Buco-Zau, Angola[1] | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Sassuolo (on loan from Fiorentina) | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2014 | Troyes | ||
| 2014–2015 | Académica | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015 | Académica | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Sertanense | 25 | (7) |
| 2016–2017 | Virtus Francavilla | 33 | (11) |
| 2017–2019 | Carpi | 14 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | → Trapani (loan) | 33 | (8) |
| 2019–2020 | Trapani | 12 | (1) |
| 2020 | → Spezia (loan) | 17 | (6) |
| 2020–2023 | Spezia | 77 | (26) |
| 2023– | Fiorentina | 33 | (3) |
| 2024–2025 | → Lens (loan) | 21 | (6) |
| 2025–2026 | → Pisa (loan) | 16 | (3) |
| 2026– | → Sassuolo (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | Angola | 15 | (3) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:31, 18 April 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 29 December 2025 | |||
M'Bala Nzola (born 18 August 1996) is an Angolan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Italian Serie A club Sassuolo, on loan from Fiorentina, and the Angola national team.
Club career
On 28 January 2015, Nzola made his professional debut with Académica de Coimbra in a 2014–15 Taça da Liga match against Porto, coming on as a substitute in the 4–1 away loss.
On 7 August 2016, he joined Lega Pro club Virtus Francavilla.[3]
On 7 August 2017, after helping Virtus Francavilla reach the Lega Pro promotion play-offs, Nzola signed a four-year deal with Carpi.[4]
On 16 August 2018, he joined Serie C club Trapani on a season-long loan. Trapani held the obligation to purchase him from Carpi at the end of the loan term in case of Trapani's promotion to Serie B.[5] On 15 June he scored the first goal for the Trapani victory over Piacenza, and after that Trapani was promoted in Serie B after two years of Serie C.
On 13 January 2020, he joined Serie B club Spezia on loan with an option to purchase.[6]
On 7 October 2020, Nzola signed with Spezia a three-year contract.[7] On 10 August 2023, he joined fellow Italian side Fiorentina.[8]
On 7 August 2025, Nzola was loaned by Pisa, with an option to buy.[9] On 31 January 2026, he moved on a new loan to Sassuolo, also with an option to buy.[10]
International career
Being born in Angola, but raised in France, Nzola was eligible for either country at international level.[11]
In March 2021, some months after he expressed his desire to represent Angola,[12] he received his first call-up to the national team.[13] Some days after, on 25 March 2021, he made his debut for the Palancas Negras against Gambia, in a qualifying match for the Africa Cup of Nations.
In December 2023, he was included in the list of the twenty-seven Angolan players selected by Pedro Gonçalves to compete in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, but Nzola declined the call-up.[14] He was later included among the players selected to take part in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[15]
Personal life
Born in Cabinda, an Angolan exclave, Nzola emigrated to France as a child.[11]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 17 April 2026[16]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Académica | 2014–15 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||
| Sertanense | 2015–16 | Campeonato de Portugal | 25 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 26 | 8 | |||
| Virtus Francavilla | 2016–17 | Lega Pro | 33 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | 38 | 12 | ||
| 2017–18 | Lega Pro | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 33 | 11 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 39 | 13 | ||||
| Carpi | 2017–18 | Serie B | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Trapani (loan) | 2018–19 | Lega Pro | 29 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 4[c] | 1 | 36 | 8 | ||
| Trapani | 2019–20 | Serie B | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| Spezia (loan) | 2019–20 | Serie B | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4[d] | 1 | 21 | 7 | ||
| Spezia | 2020–21 | Serie A | 25 | 11 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 11 | |||
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 2 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Serie A | 31 | 13 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1[e] | 0 | 34 | 15 | |||
| Spezia total | 94 | 32 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 1 | 102 | 35 | ||||
| Fiorentina | 2023–24 | Serie A | 33 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 11[f] | 3 | 1[g] | 0 | 47 | 7 | |
| Lens (loan) | 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | 1[h] | 0 | — | 23 | 7 | ||
| Pisa (loan) | 2025–26 | Serie A | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 3 | |||
| Sassuolo (loan) | 2025–26 | Serie A | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 286 | 71 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 331 | 83 | ||
- ^ Includes Taça de Portugal, Coppa Italia
- ^ Includes Taça da Liga
- ^ a b Appearance in Lega Pro promotion play-offs
- ^ Appearances in Serie B promotion play-offs
- ^ Appearance in Serie A relegation play-off
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
International
- As of match played 29 December 2025[17]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | 2021 | 3 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 15 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Angola's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nzola goal.[17]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 November 2021 | Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola |  Egypt |
2–0 | 2–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 1 June 2022 | Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola |  Central African Republic |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 3 | 9 September 2025 | Estádio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola |  Mauritius |
1–0 | 3–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
References
- ^ "Mbala Nzola deseja representar os Palancas Negras". Luanda Post (in Portuguese). 3 March 2021. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ "M'Bala Nzola". Spezia Calcio. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "M'Bala Nzola è un nuovo giocatore della Virtus Francavilla Calcio" (in Italian). Virtus Francavilla Calcio. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Mercato: Nzola è ufficialmente biancorosso" (in Italian). Carpi F.C. 1909. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ^ "L'attaccante 'Nzola è un calciatore del Trapani" (in Italian). Trapani. 16 August 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ "Mercato: colpo per l'attacco. Ecco M'Bala Nzola" (Press release) (in Italian). Spezia. 13 January 2020.
- ^ "UFFICIALE: Spezia, torna Nzola: ha firmato per tre stagioni".
- ^ "Nzola è un nuovo calciatore della Fiorentina" (in Italian). ACF Fiorentina. 10 August 2023.
- ^ "M'Bala Nzola è del Pisa!" [M'Bala Nzola is at Pisa!] (in Italian). Pisa SC. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
- ^ "M'Bala Nzola è un nuovo calciatore neroverde!" [M'Bala Nzola is a new black-green footballer!] (in Italian). US Sassuolo Calcio. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ^ a b Oddi, Francesco (20 August 2020). "Finale playoff: da Gyasi a Nzola, gli (altri) talenti da seguire in Spezia-Frosinone". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- ^ Tinfena, Gianluca (24 November 2020). ""Da bimbo scappavo per andare a giocare Il mio sogno? Vestire la maglia dell'Angola"". La Nazione (in Italian). Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "CAN 2022: seleccionador nacional anunciou hoje a lista dos convocados em conferência de imprensa" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ LP (29 December 2023). "Angola : M'Bala Nzola n'honorera pas sa convocation à la CAN". So Foot (in French).
- ^ "CAN 2025. La liste de l'Angola pour la Coupe d'Afrique des nations : avec Clinton Mata, sans Bastos". Ouest-France (in French). 4 December 2025.
- ^ M'Bala Nzola at Soccerway. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ a b "M'Bala Nzola". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
External links
- M'Bala Nzola at Soccerway
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