Manuel Akanji was born on 19 July 1995 in Wiesendangen, Switzerland. He came through the academy of local club FC Winterthur, turning professional in 2014 before earning a move to top-flight FC Basel in 2015. At Basel he won back-to-back Swiss Super League titles in 2015–16 and 2016–17, the second of which also included the Swiss Cup, and he featured in all six of the club's 2017–18 UEFA Champions League group-stage matches.
His performances earned him a transfer to Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 for a reported fee of €18 million, where he went on to win the DFL-Supercup in 2019 and the DFB-Pokal in 2021. He joined Manchester City in September 2022 for around £15 million, and his first season at the club brought a continental treble — Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League — followed by a second league title in 2023–24 and the FA Community Shield in 2024.
A composed, technically capable centre-back who is comfortable on the ball and contributes to build-up play from deep, Akanji has been used flexibly by Pep Guardiola across the back line. He is currently on a season-long loan at Inter Milan for 2025–26, where he added a Serie A title to his collection.
Internationally, Akanji made his senior debut for Switzerland in June 2017 and has since represented the country at two World Cups (2018, 2022) and two European Championships (2020, 2024). He was named in the Team of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 2024.