Football World Honours Christian Atsu’s Legacy on Birthday Anniversary

Tributes Mark Christian Atsu’s Birthday

English Premier League giants Chelsea Football Club have celebrated late Ghanaian forward Christian Atsu on his 34th birthday. Newcastle United have marked Christian Atsu’s birthday as they take on another of his former clubs in today’s FA Cup third round. Tragically, the former Magpies’ winger died in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey in February 2023, when he was playing for Hatayspor. The commemorations highlight the enduring impact of a player who touched lives both on and off the pitch.

A Career of Excellence and Compassion

Christian Atsu Twasam (10 January 1992 – 6 February 2023) was a Ghanaian professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, although he was deployed as an attacking midfielder or left back. A full international with 65 caps from 2012 to 2019, Atsu represented Ghana at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped the team finish as runners-up at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, in which he also won Player of the Tournament and Goal of the Tournament. 62-cap Ghanaian international Atsu made 121 appearances for Newcastle over five seasons and was a key part of Rafael Benitez’s Championship winning side in 2016/17.

Away from football, Atsu took care of the needy in society and was involved in several philanthropic activities. The winger built a school for orphans in the Central Region of Ghana, where his career started. Described by The Guardian obituary writer Louise Taylor as “a true Christian in every sense of the word”, he was active in charity, being an ambassador for Arms Around the Child, an organisation supporting disadvantaged children.

A Legacy That Endures

Atsu’s passing rocked the football world in 2023 as the sporting world mourned the star after his body was recovered from the rubble, twelve days after being trapped under his hotel building. The former Porto player’s body was transported to Ghana and was buried a month later in his hometown in Ada. Following his passing, the school has been supported by some of his former clubs as a promise to complete the then unfinished project. The birthday tributes from Chelsea, Newcastle, and the Ghana Football Association demonstrate that Christian Atsu’s memory continues to inspire football communities worldwide, cementing his status as not merely a talented footballer, but a humanitarian whose impact transcends the sport.