Carlos Baleba: Brighton and Cameroon midfielder hopes to light up Africa Cup of Nations | Football news

Paul Pogba, Thiago Alcantara, Sergio Busquets and Kevin De Bruyne.

The names that come to Carlos Baleba’s mind as he lists the players he grew up on in hopes of shaping his own game. Among them are multiple World Cups, Champions Leagues, top-flight titles and defining moments.

It would take someone with big ambitions to match not only his accolades, but also his performances on the biggest stage. Baleba, however, goes further. The goal for him is not to equal, but to synthesize.

“I watch a lot of highlights of them. I watch their positioning and their sweeping. But I try to be like Carlos Baleba,” he says. Aerial sports.

“It’s an ambition [of mine] to be the best midfielder in the world. I just want to work hard, get advice, take something from the midfielders. Not just in the Premier League, because I learned a lot here.

“Rodri and others, but I try to take [lessons from] outside the Premier League. Like Ligue 1, Vitinha or Joao Neves.

“In La Liga, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets. I try to learn every day. I watch them on YouTube.”

“Baleba” is a name that has been thrust into the limelight. The 21-year-old’s performances at Brighton last season, bringing the midfield together, put him firmly on the radar of Europe’s elite. No move has taken place.

But before viral social media hashtags and nine-figure fees, for Baleba it all started with a ball at his feet in Douala, Cameroon – the country Baleba will represent at the Africa Cup of Nations.

“The first thing I had on my feet was a ball when I was young. My father wanted me to play football and he wanted me to be a great player.”

At the time, it wasn’t about scanning and positioning Baleba, who didn’t even have in mind becoming a central midfielder; it was fun.

He and his father were watching television and it was wingers like Neymar who first captured his imagination. Baleba’s father, Eugène, was a professional in Cameroon.

He coached Baleba in Cameroon and dreamed of his son emulating Maradona and Ronaldinho.

Although on the surface, Baleba’s physical profile on the pitch and his hopes of orchestrating from deep are a far cry from his father’s prophecy about Ronaldinho and Maradona, the joy they articulated around their play is one he shares.

Whether on the pitch or on social media, Baleba is known for his beaming smile which he believes underpins who and what he is as a footballer.

“If I don’t smile on the pitch, if I don’t enjoy it, I’m not doing well. This pleasure comes from my mother.

“When I was a kid, she played with me, she encouraged me. When my dad took me to practice, she was there for me.”

Baleba took his love of the game to France from Douala, with Lille beckoning. After rising through the ranks in France, he quickly joined Brighton and the Premier League. He joined the Amex in August 2023, but it was his performances in the 2024/25 season that made everyone take notice.

Under the guidance of Fabian Hurzeler, Baleba has become one of the best midfield prospects in the league. But after a hectic summer, the start of this campaign was slower. Baleba always had ambitions to be in the spotlight, but he never expected how quickly his reputation would rise.

“When I see my name everywhere, I’m happy,” he says.

“When I was a kid, it was a wish for my mom and dad. It’s a wish for me.

“I’m happy with all of it. But it was overwhelming because I did everything so quickly.

“I did things that some players my age don’t do like me. But I’m really happy.”

“I want to show that I can be the best midfielder in the world at the CAN”

Becoming a household name in England came with a certain prestige on his home continent. During the CAN, Baleba will naturally be considered a source of inspiration for Cameroon.

He hopes to stand on the shoulders of giants like Samuel Eto’o, Roger Milla and Rigobert Song and be part of a winning CAN team.

Cameroon qualified for the CAN without losing a single match, but after missing out on the World Cup after losing to DR Congo in the play-offs, things haven’t been rosy off the field for the Indomitable Lions.

There have been reports of unrest within the camp and sudden changes, with current Cameroonian President Eto’o at the heart of it all. But given his legacy in the competition, Baleba is rooting for his nation to succeed.

“I believe in my country,” says Baleba Aerial sports.

“I believe in our players. We are going to play in the CAN and I think we will do well.

“Playing for Cameroon, for me it’s big, because I want to win something with my country. It’s a pleasure to play for my country. I want to win the CAN and the World Cup with my country!

“I have become a great leader but there are a lot of leaders in the group. There are a lot of leaders like Brian Mbeumo.

“But everyone, we’re going to stay together and play. And maybe we can give our all to our country. But the first thing is to believe in our team.”

Although this season has not gone as planned, the AFCON represents a timely opportunity for Baleba to set a different stage on fire.

“I want to show the best of myself in this CAN,” he said.

“I want to show people that I want to be the best midfielder in the world. I want to be the best midfielder like Yaya Touré in Africa.

“In this CAN. The first thing is our country, our style of play and giving everything on the pitch.”

The prospect of winning the AFCON is part of what has already been Baleba’s rise to stardom. A triumph will make him the hero that learners will watch on YouTube.

Who will he react to if he wins?

Baleba’s famous smile appears when he says, “I’m going crazy.”