# Soualiho Meïté

Soualiho Meïté (born 17 March 1994) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Greek Super League club PAOK, on loan from Benfica.

## Club career
### Early career

On 14 March 2011, Meïté signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal with Auxerre. He was subsequently promoted to the senior team by manager Laurent Fournier and assigned the number 32 shirt. Meïté made his professional debut on 20 November in a 2–1 defeat against Valenciennes, appearing as a substitute.

### Monaco

On 17 June 2017, Meïté was transferred to Monaco for €8 million. He made his debut for the club on 16 September that year.
On 2 January 2018, Meïté was loaned to Bordeaux. He scored his first goal on 15 April in a 3–1 away win against Montpellier.

### Torino

On 10 July, Meïté was signed by Italian club Torino through an equal exchange with full-back Antonio Barreca, who moved to Monaco. He made his debut for the Granata on 12 August during Coppa Italia against Cosenza (4-0) as a starter. He scored his first goal for the club on 26 August in a 2–2 draw against Inter Milan at San Siro.
On 14 January, Meïté signed with AC Milan, on loan from Torino with an option to buy.

### Benfica

Meïté joined Portuguese club Benfica in July 2021, signing a contract until 2026. The next stop in Meite’s career was Benfica. In Lisbon he made 27 appearances before leaving on loan for Cremonese in the 2022-23 season, where he made 35 appearances and produced two assists.

### PAOK

On 27 August 2023, Meïté joined PAOK on loan with an option to buy. The agreement for the 29-year-old French midfielder is for an option of four million euros, with the Lusitanians retaining a resale percentage (30%). Meïté made his debut with PAOK against OFI as a substitute on 3 September 2023. On 5 October Soualiho was named Fans' Man of the Match with a percentage of 31% against Eintracht Frankfurt in Toumba for the 2nd matchday of the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023-24 group stage. He scored his first goal for the club on 14 January in a 4–0 win against PAS Giannina at Toumba.

## International career

Born in France, Meïté is of Ivorian descent. A former France youth international, he represented his nation at under-16 and under-17 level. He played with the under-17 team at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 17 December 2023
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Continental | Continental | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Auxerre B | 2010–11 | CFA | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Auxerre B | 2011–12 | CFA | 20 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 2 |
| Auxerre B | 2012–13 | CFA | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Auxerre B | Total | Total | 30 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 2 |
| Auxerre | 2011–12 | Ligue 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Auxerre | 2012–13 | Ligue 2 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 2 |
| Auxerre | Total | Total | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 2 |
| Lille | 2013–14 | Ligue 1 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 |
| Lille | 2014–15 | Ligue 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Lille | 2015–16 | Ligue 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Lille | Total | Total | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Lille B | 2013–14 | CFA | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Lille B | 2014–15 | CFA | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 |
| Lille B | 2015–16 | CFA 2 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 2 |
| Lille B | Total | Total | 19 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | 2 |
| Zulte Waregem (loan) | 2015–16 | Belgian Pro League | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 0 |
| Zulte Waregem (loan) | 2016–17 | Belgian Pro League | 40 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 46 | 2 |
| Zulte Waregem (loan) | Total | Total | 52 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 58 | 2 |
| Monaco | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Bordeaux (loan) | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 1 |
| Torino | 2018–19 | Serie A | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 38 | 2 |
| Torino | 2019–20 | Serie A | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Torino | 2020–21 | Serie A | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 1 |
| Torino | Total | Total | 82 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | 94 | 3 |
| AC Milan (loan) | 2020–21 | Serie A | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Benfica | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Cremonese (loan) | 2022–23 | Serie A | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 0 |
| PAOK (loan) | 2023–24 | Super League Greece | 30 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | 42 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 349 | 11 | 28 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 413 | 13 |
* ↑ Includes Coupe de France, Belgian Cup, Coppa Italia, Taça de Portugal, Greek Football Cup
* ↑ Includes Coupe de la Ligue, Taça da Liga
* ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
* 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

## Honours

Zulte Waregem
* Belgian Cup: 2016–17
Benfica
* Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2023
PAOK
* Super League Greece: 2023–24