Ivory Coast star Franck Kessie rejoins Atalanta after impressive FIFA World Cup 2026

Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessié has returned to Atalanta after helping the Elephants reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage for the first time. | Photo Credit: AP

Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessié has returned to Atalanta, the first European club he played for, in a move that follows his role in helping the Elephants reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage for the first time.

The Serie A side confirmed on Saturday that Kessié has signed a multi-year deal, though no length was disclosed. Juventus had also been in the race, but coach Luciano Spalletti indicated financial fair play constraints were a barrier, saying on Friday: “If we don’t sell someone, it’s tough to consider new entries.”

Welcome back, Franck 🫡🖤💙 pic.twitter.com/6iDsQEWwmi

— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) August 29, 2026

Kessié, 29, first arrived at Atalanta in 2015 via the youth setup, then scored twice on his debut in Serie A for the club in 2016 after a loan at Cesena, before multiple stints at AC Milan, Barcelona and Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.

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Under Maurizio Sarri, Atalanta opened its league campaign with a win over Sassuolo and is now due to host Bologna on Monday.

The midfielder’s FIFA World Cup contribution came in the group stage, where he scored in Ivory Coast’s loss to Germany as the team advanced to the knockout rounds for the first time in its history.