Willy Boly

Willy-Arnaud Zobo Boly (born 3 February 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back. Born in France, he represents the Ivory Coast national team.

Club career Auxerre Born in Melun, Seine-et-Marne, Boly played youth football for three clubs, also having a three-year spell at the INF Clairefontaine academy. He made his senior debut with AJ Auxerre's reserves and, in February 2011, he signed his first professional contract after agreeing to a three-year deal with an option for a fourth.

On 16 April 2011, Boly made his Ligue 1 debut by playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against Toulouse. He scored his first goal in the competition the following matchday, in a 1–1 home draw to Lens.

Boly was an undisputed starter in the 2011–12 season (33 games, one goal), but the AJA were relegated to Ligue 2 after finishing last.

Braga

On 1 September 2014, Boly moved to Portugal and joined Braga on a four-year deal. He spent his first season with the B-team, in the Segunda Liga.

Porto On 31 August 2016, Boly signed a five-year contract with Porto with a €45 million buyout clause. He played only eight competitive matches during his spell, including the 1–0 away loss against Juventus FC for the last-16 stage of the UEFA Champions League where he featured the second half after coming on as a substitute for André Silva.

Wolverhampton Wanderers On 8 July 2017, Boly joined EFL Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan, reuniting him with his former head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. He made his competitive debut for Wolverhampton on the opening day of the 2017–18 season in a 1–0 home win against Middlesbrough, and scored his first goal with them on 31 October to help Wolves win 2–0 away against Norwich City.

After making 37 official appearances and helping them achieve promotion, Boly signed a permanent contract with Wolves. He made his Premier League debut on 11 August 2018, in a 2–2 home draw against Everton. He scored his first goal in the competition two weeks later in a 1–1 home draw to Manchester City, but the goal proved controversial as television replays showed the ball was deflected into the goal by his forearm after glancing off his head.

Boly scored his first ever goal in UEFA European competition in Wolves's 2019–20 UEFA Europa League Group stage game against Beşiktaş in Istanbul on 3 October 2019, a game that Wolves won 1–0.

Boly fractured his left fibula in training on 26 October 2019, necessitating surgery to insert a plate and screws on 30 October 2019. Boly returned from this injury in Wolves's 0–0 draw away to Manchester United on 1 February 2020, although he had been an unused substitute in Wolves's previous Premier League fixture at home to Liverpool on 23 January 2020.

Boly scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season, and his first Premier League goal since the 2018–19 season, on 16 January 2021 against West Bromwich Albion in the Black Country derby.

On 5 April 2021, after returning from playing with his national team in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifications, Wolves announced that Boly had caught COVID-19, and was self-isolating in line with government guidance. Wolves's head coach, Nuno Espírito Santo, announced after Wolves's Premier League game with West Bromwich Albion on 3 May 2021 that Boly was suffering the effects of long covid, ruling him out from appearing for Wolves in the game that evening. Boly would not feature for Wolves again until 19 May 2021, when he played the full 90 minutes of the away Premier League game at Everton.

Nottingham Forest On 1 September 2022, Boly signed with Premier League side Nottingham Forest on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee. On 5 June 2024, the club said the player had signed a one-year extension.

On 10 June 2026, the club said it was releasing the player.

International career Born to Ivorian parents, Boly represented France at under-16, under-17 and under-19 levels.

Boly switched to represent the Ivory Coast national team in 2020. He debuted for the Ivory Coast in a 2–1 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification win over Madagascar on 12 November 2020.

On December 28, 2023, he was included in the list of twenty-seven Ivorian players selected by Jean-Louis Gasset to compete in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Boly was included in the list of Ivorian players selected by coach Emerse Faé to participate in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

2010–11

2011–12

2012–13

2013–14

2014–15

2014–15

2015–16

2016–17

25!!2!!4!!0!!2!!0!!12!!0!!1!!0!!44!!2 Porto 2016–17 Primeira Liga

Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) 2017–18 Championship

2018–19

2019–20

2021–22

2022–23

2023–24

2024–25

2025–26

Scores and results list Ivory Coast's goal tally first. Score column indicates score after each Boly goal.

Ivory Coast Africa Cup of Nations: 2023

Individual PFA Team of the Year: 2017–18 Championship