{{short description|Maltese footballer}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Yannick Yankam | image = | image_size = | caption = | full_name = Yannick Yankam | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1997|12|12}} | birth_place = Qormi, Malta | height = 1.83m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = Valletta | clubnumber = 20 | youthyears1 = –2015 | youthclubs1 = Qormi | years1 = 2015–2019 | clubs1 = Qormi | caps1 = 89 | goals1 = 9 | years2 = 2019–2023 | clubs2 = Birkirkara | caps2 = 90 | goals2 = 10 | years3 = 2024–2025 | clubs3 = Lexington SC | caps3 = 17 | goals3 = 2 | years4 = 2025– | clubs4 = Valletta | caps4 = 32 | goals4 = 4 | nationalyears1 = 2023– | nationalteam1 = Malta | nationalcaps1 = 16 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | club-update = 7 May 2026 | ntupdate = 20:45, 9 October 2025 (UTC) }}
'''Yannick Yankam''' (born 12 December 1997) is a Maltese professional footballer and rapper who plays as a midfielder for Valletta and the Malta national team.<ref name="soccerway">{{Soccerway|429840}}</ref>
==Club career== Yankam started his career with Qormi, where he played for as a youth player.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://netnews.com.mt/2019/07/05/birkirkara-jakkwistaw-lil-yannick-yankam-minghand-qormi-a/|title=Birkirkara jakkwistaw lil Yannick Yankam mingħand Qormi|publisher=netnews.com.mt}}</ref> In 2019, he joined Birkirkara.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maltafootball.com/2019/07/05/yannick-yankam-joins-birkirkara/|title=Yannick Yankam joins Birkirkara|publisher=maltafootball.com}}</ref> He made his senior team debut on 23 August 2019 in a 1–0 league loss against Floriana.<ref name="clubdeb">{{cite web|title=Birkirkara vs. Floriana – 23 August 2019|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/08/23/malta/premier-league/birkirkara-fc/floriana-fc/3051392/|accessdate=26 March 2023}}</ref> He scored his first goal on 22 February 2020 in a 2–1 league win against Hibernians.<ref name="fgoal">{{cite web|title=Birkirkara vs. Hibernians – 22 February 2020|url=https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2020/02/22/malta/premier-league/birkirkara-fc/hibernians-fc/3169657/|accessdate=26 March 2023}}</ref> While playing football, he has received racist abuse during games.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/racial-abuse-common-in-football.796503|title=Monkey chants, name-calling... the prevalent racial abuse in Maltese football|publisher=timesofmalta.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lovinmalta.com/news/watch-black-and-maltese-three-youths-speak-out-about-their-experiences-with-racism-in-eye-opening-video/|title=Black And Maltese! Three Youths Speak Out About Their Experiences With Racism In Eye-Opening Video|publisher=loveinmalta.com}}</ref> In 2023, after scoring his first international goal, Yankam was regarded as a prospect in Maltese football.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ohmymalta.com.mt/2023/03/24/yannick-yankam-scores-first-international-goal-playing-for-malta/|title=Yannick Yankam Scores First International Goal Playing For Malta|publisher=ohmymalta.com.mt}}</ref>
On 8 January 2024, Yankam joined American club Lexington SC in the USL League One on a permanent deal, signing a two-year contract.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 January 2024 |title=LEXINGTON SPORTING CLUB SIGNS MALTA NATIVE YANNICK YANKAM |url=https://www.lexsporting.com/news/lexington-sporting-club-signs-malta-native-yannick-yankam/ |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=Lexington Sporting Club |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Camilleri |first=Valhmor |date=9 January 2024 |title=Yankam bids farewell to Birkirkara FC as Lexington FC move confirmed |url=https://sport.timesofmalta.com/2024/01/09/yankam-bids-farewell-to-birkirkara-fc-as-lexington-fc-move-confirmed/ |access-date=9 January 2024 |website=SportsDesk |language=en}}</ref>
In June 2015, Yankam joined Valletta F.C..<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lia |first1=Gianluca |title=Newly-promoted Valletta sign Malta international midfielder Yankam |url=https://sport.timesofmalta.com/2025/06/25/newly-promoted-valletta-sign-malta-international-midfielder-yankam/ |access-date=8 December 2025 |work=SportsDesk - Times of Malta |publisher=Allied Newspapers Ltd |date=25 June 2025}}</ref>
==International career== Yankam made his senior team debut on 23 March 2023, scoring in a 2–1 UEFA European Championship qualifying defeat against North Macedonia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsbook.com.mt/gowl-ta-yankam-mhux-bizzejjed-ghal-malta-kontra-l-macedonja-ta-fuq/|title=Gowl ta' Yankam mhux biżżejjed għal Malta kontra l-Maċedonja ta' Fuq|publisher=newsbook.com.mt}}</ref>
==Style of play== Yankam mainly operates as a midfielder.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sportsdesk.com.mt/2023/03/20/tabone-yankam-and-nwoko-make-final-malta-squad-for-north-macedonia-trip/|title=Tabone, Yankam and Nwoko make final Malta squad for North Macedonia trip|publisher=sportsdesk.com.mt}}</ref>
==Music career== Yankam is also a rapper who goes by the name '''Yannick'''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YANNICK – The Gen Z rapper set to revolutionise Malta's hip hop scene |url=https://trackagescheme.com/yannick-yankam-rapper/ |publisher=trackagescheme.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/remember-last-weeks-maltese-rap-feud-turns-out-we-were-only-getting-started/|title=Remember Last Week's Maltese Rap Feud? Turns Out We Were Only Getting Started|publisher=lovinmalta.com}}</ref> He was a part of the Maltese rap collective 215collective, together with rappers Caro and Eddie Fresco.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.musiccrowns.org/features/7-bands-malta-paying-attention/|title=7 bands from Malta you should be paying attention to|publisher=musiccrowns.org}}</ref> In 2019, he released his debut EP.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/watch-tekken-and-chill-young-maltese-hip-hop-artist-releases-nostalgic-video-for-debut-albums-first-single/|title=Tekken And Chill – Young Maltese Hip Hop Artist Releases Nostalgic Video For Debut EP's First Single|publisher=lovinmalta.com}}</ref> He was nominated for the 2020 Bay Music Awards Best Hip Hop/ RnB Artist.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bay.com.mt/meet-the-bmas-nominees-best-hip-hop-rnb-artist/|title=Meet The BMAs Nominees – Best Hip Hop/ RnB Artist|publisher=bay.com.mt|access-date=2023-04-09|archive-date=2023-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409201755/https://bay.com.mt/meet-the-bmas-nominees-best-hip-hop-rnb-artist/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Personal life== Yankam was born in Malta to a Cameroonian father and a Maltese mother.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/110331/young_black_maltese_birkirkara_footballer_yannick_yankam_on_the_reality_of_racism_in_malta|title=Young, black, Maltese: Birkirkara footballer Yannick Yankam on the reality of racism in Malta|website=MaltaToday.com.mt}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {{updated|26 March 2023}}<ref name="soccerway" /> {| class="wikitable" style="test-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club and year |- !Club!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="4" |Qormi |2015–16||22||0 |- |2016–17||20||2 |- |2017–18||25||3 |- |2018–19||27||4 |- | rowspan="4" |Birkirkara |2019–20||14||1 |- |2020–21||24||4 |- |2021–22||26||2 |- |2022–23||24||6 |- ! colspan="2" |Total!!182!!22 |}
===International=== {{updated|1 December 2023}}<ref name="soccerway" /> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="1" |Malta |2023||10||1 |- ! colspan="2" |Total!!10!!1 |}
===International goals=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition |- | 1. || 23 March 2023 || Toše Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia || {{fb|MKD}} || {{center|'''1'''–2}} || {{center|1–2}} || UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |}
==Honours== ===Club=== '''Birkirkara''' * Maltese FA Trophy: 2022–23
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.birkirkarafc.com/player.php?id=407 Birkirkara FC – Player Profile] at birkirkarafc.com {{Valletta F.C. squad}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Maltese men's footballers Category:Malta men's international footballers Category:Maltese people of Cameroonian descent Category:Maltese Premier League players Category:Birkirkara F.C. players Category:Maltese expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Category:Maltese expatriate sportspeople in the United States Category:Lexington SC players Category:People from Qormi {{DEFAULTSORT:Yankam, Yannick}}