Assan Ouédraogo

Forzan Assan Ouédraogo (born 9 May 2006) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.

Club career
Born in Mülheim to Burkinabé parents, Ouédraogo began his career with TuS Union 09 Mülheim, spending three years before a move to Schalke 04 in 2014. He signed a contract extension in November 2022. Ahead of the 2023–24 season, he was promoted to the first team, scoring his first goal in a 2–2 away friendly draw with 1. FC Bocholt on 6 July, also getting the assist for Simon Terodde's goal. He scored in another friendly game as Schalke 04 beat Polish opposition Górnik Zabrze 5–0 on 15 July, and these pre-season performances saw him touted as a player with a lot of potential.

Ouédraogo marked his professional debut in the 2. Bundesliga with a goal; being named as a surprise starter in the away game against Hamburger SV, he received the ball in the penalty area from teammate Simon Terodde, he cut onto his right foot, beating a Hamburger SV defender in the process, before placing the ball beyond goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes. Despite his team losing 5–3, his first half goal earned him a spot in Schalke 04 history, as he beat Julian Draxler's record as Schalke's youngest goal-scorer in official matches. He also is the youngest player ever of Schalke 04 in competitive and professional matches with an age of 17 years and 80 days, beating Volker Abramczik's record. Following the game, manager Thomas Reis said of Ouédraogo: "it was important that we carefully integrated him into training", also stating that he would give him a "necessary break" and "ground him if [he has] to", highlighting that he did not want to rush Ouédraogo's progress.

On 13 June 2024, Ouédraogo moved to RB Leipzig for a reported fee of €10 million, signing a five-year contract.

International career
Ouédraogo has represented Germany at under-16 and under-17 level. At the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, he scored the winning penalty as Germany beat France 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out victory in the final. His parents are from Burkina Faso, and he remains eligible to represent the African nation. On 1 November 2023, Ouédraogo was called up to the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Indonesia.

Style of play
A box-to-box midfielder, Ouédraogo is capable of using both feet, and is lauded for his dribbling, creativity and goal-scoring ability.

Personal life
Ouédraogo's father is former Burkina Faso international footballer Alassane Ouédraogo.

Honours
Germany U17
 * UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2023
 * FIFA U-17 World Cup: 2023

Individual
 * Fritz Walter Medal U17 Bronze: 2023