Yannick Stopyra

Yannick Stopyra (born 9 January 1961) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker.

He amassed Ligue 1 totals of 455 matches and 130 goals in representation of six teams, mainly Sochaux and Toulouse, in a 17-year senior career.

Stopyra appeared for France at the 1986 World Cup.

Club career Born in Troyes, Aube of Polish ancestry, Stopyra spent 15 of his 17 seasons as a professional in Ligue 1, representing FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, Stade Rennais FC, Toulouse FC, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, AS Cannes and FC Metz. He made his senior debut with the former at only 17, helping it to the second position in the domestic championship in 1979–80 and the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup the following campaign.

Stopyra retired in June 1994 at the age of 33, after two years in Ligue 2 with FC Mulhouse. He later returned to Bordeaux, going on to work with its youth sides.

International career Stopyra won his first cap for the France national team on 27 February 1980, in a friendly with Greece where he scored the final 5–1. He appeared in a further 32 internationals and netted 11 goals over eight years.

Stopyra was picked by manager Henri Michel for the squad that competed at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in all the games but one in Mexico as Les Bleus finished in third position, scoring against Hungary in the group stage (3–0) and against Italy in the round of 16 (2–0).

Personal life Stopyra's father, Julien (1933–2015), was also a forward. He earned one cap for France.

Honours France FIFA World Cup third place: 1986 Artemio Franchi Cup: 1985