Malik Jalkuje, 20, scores for Brighton and attracts attention over appearance

Brighton & Hove Albion's 20-year-old midfielder Malik Jalkuje drew widespread attention after the club's 4-3 defeat at Chelsea, not only for scoring his first Premier League goal but for his appearance during the live broadcast.

During the match, clips and posts on X (formerly Twitter) began to question his age because of noticeable hair loss. The reaction soon prompted a light-hearted online reply which said, "the television cameras are to blame for the confusion."

Medical context and official details

Jalkuje suffers from chronic alopecia, a medical condition that causes hair loss and pigment changes at a young age. Club paperwork and official records list his date of birth as 18 November 2005, confirming he is exactly 20 years old.

Born in Mali, Jalkuje represents the Ivory Coast at youth level. He joined Brighton in 2024 and spent the two seasons that followed on loan at Sturm Graz in Austria and Swansea City in England.

Despite the off-field attention, coaches and teammates say the condition has not affected his physical abilities or form on the pitch. His goal against Chelsea underlined Brighton's view that he can be an important reinforcement for the Seagulls going forward.

Social-media commentary mixed disbelief with support, and the club and player have treated the conversation with a mix of humour and factual clarification about his health and official age.

Photo: press material from the event