Rachid Kouda

Rachid Kouda (born 25 July 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays for club Spezia.

Club career
Kouda was born in Cantù, Italy to Burkinabé parents. He began his youth career with local club Mariano Calcio, before being admitted to the Atalanta youth academy after a successful tryout. In 2016, he was released by the club. He then played for the youth teams of Renate, Luciano Manara, Caratese and Cagliari. On 1 December 2019, he made his senior debut with Caratese in the Serie D game against Virtus Bolzano. After three seasons at the club, he scored 8 goals after 44 league appearances.

In July 2022, Kouda signed for Serie C side Picerno, where he netted 2 goals after 32 games in his only season with the club.

On 17 July 2023, Kouda joined Serie B club Spezia, signing a three-year contract. He scored his first goal for Spezia on 24 November 2023 against Sampdoria.

International career
In May 2024, Kouda received his first call up to the Italy U21 team, being part of the squad for the 2024 Maurice Revello Tournament.