Know who is Medi Abalimba and where is he now
Medi Abalimba is a former professional footballer who was recently arrested and put back in prison after previously escaping breaching his parole conditions and fleeing the country.
Despite playing professionally, Medi is most renowned for his frauds, most notably posing as a Premier League footballer and deceiving high-profile victims.
Who is Medi Abalimba who pretended to be Chelsea footballer Gael Kakuta, bio, age, wife, nationality, football career, teams and where is he now
🚨Gaël Kakuta victim of Identity fraud.
Medi Abalimba Frenchman, pretended to be Gaël Kakuta to defraud people, including football agents and clubs
He used fake documents, emails, and created a forged passport in Kakuta's name To make his impersonation seem legit…….. pic.twitter.com/LqHukDUuUS
— CFC Rider (@Rider_Spinky) February 22, 2025
Medi Abalimba back in prison after escaping the country
Following his release under parole, Medi Abalimba seemingly fled the UK in early 2023, breaching his parole conditions. Upon carrying out investigations, authorities discovered that Medi had changed his name to Michi Jordan and obtained a new passport. Medi’s escape sparked a major international manhunt involving various police forces from several countries.
PC Sarah Baker who is assigned under the Derbyshire Police’s International Liaison Office, played a key role in tracking down Medi Abalimba. Along with authorities in the United States and Homeland Security, they were able to locate and arrest him. Following his arrest, authorities extradited Abalimba back to the UK, where he will remain prison. According to reports, Abalimba will remain imprisoned until at least October 2026.
Medi Abalimba bio
Medi Abalimba is a former professional footballer, dubbed the “football fraudster,” who was born on October 14, 1992. Abalimba was once a promising professional footballer but got embroiled in all kinds of deception and fraudulent activities. He also had multiple encounters with the law, squashing all his potential as a player. As a player, Medi played in the central midfield position as a right-footed player.
He was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then known as Zaire) and, amid growing tensions in the country, his family fled for the UK.
Age and height
Medi Abalimba is currently 32 years old and stands at a height of 1.74 m.
Citizenship
Medi holds a Congolese and French citizenship.
Medi Abalimba football career
Prior to starting out his fraud activities, Medi Abalimba played professionally with various clubs like Derby County, Oldham Athletic, Southend United, Fulham, and Crystal Palace. As a youngster, Abalimba even had trials with top English clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool. During his peak, Abalimba had a rated transfer fee of £1 million, highlighting his potential in professional football. However, he failed to make any lasting impact and eventually turned towards deception to enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
Fraud and imprisonment
Medi Abalimba first made headlines for his fraudulent activities in 2014, after he was caught pretending to be French youth international Gael Kakuta. He committed a total of 12 counts of fraud. While parading around as Kakuta, Medi deceived victims into paying for extravagant expenses like luxury hotels, helicopter trips, and lavish travel. He received a four-year prison sentence for his activities.
The failed footballer who posed as a Chelsea star to live a Premier League lifestyle had been jailed after Manchester Crown Court heard Medi Abalimba went on a £20,000 shopping spree at Selfridges, stayed at top hotels and even hired a helicopter.
The player, who once commanded a fee of more than £1m but whose career failed to progress, masqueraded as France youth international Gael Kakuta and after he admitted multiple frauds, he was sentenced to four years.
Abalimba, of Burton Street, London, phoned venues claiming to be the agent of Chelsea winger Gael Kakuta before turning up posing as the player himself.
After his release, Medi Abalimba further continued his fraudulent lifestyle and got convicted of 15 counts of fraud. This time, he was also convicted of one count of possession of articles used in fraud and one count of possession of an identity document with fake information. He received a four-year and two-month prison sentence.
“The Football Fraudster” Netflix documentary
Owing to his reputation as a fraudster, Medi Abalimba had a 2023 Netflix documentary, titled “The Football Fraudster,” detailing his story. The documentary highlighted all his deceptive tactics and even shared accounts from some of his victims. The victims included Claire Merry (ex-wife of Thierry Henry) and Love Island star Georgia Steel.
Medi Abalimba posed as a Premier League footballer and persuaded his victims, including Thierry Henry’s ex-wife and Love Island contestant Georgia Steel to pay for stays in luxury hotels, helicopter trips and travel to different parts of the world.
Even while in prison, Abalimba kept up a relationship with Claire Merry, an ex-wife of former Arsenal player Thierry Henry. He is currently single and unmarried.