Ridle Baku was born on 8 April 1998 in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He came through the youth academy of 1. FSV Mainz 05 — his hometown club — and made his Bundesliga debut for the first team in 2018 before joining VfL Wolfsburg in 2020, where he developed into one of the Bundesliga's most dynamic right-backs.
At Wolfsburg he became a key component of a side that under coach Oliver Glasner reached the UEFA Champions League in 2021-22, his first season with the club. His ability to combine overlapping runs with defensive solidity made him one of the more complete full-backs in the Bundesliga, and he established himself as a regular in the squad through multiple seasons.
He has remained at Wolfsburg and continued to be an important figure in their defence across subsequent Bundesliga campaigns, including representing the club in European competition. His longevity at Wolfsburg as their primary right-back option reflects the trust the club has placed in his continued development.
For Germany he debuted in 2020 and has been a rotation option at right-back, providing pace and directness from the flank that Germany's system uses when they want attacking width. He appeared at the 2022 World Cup and has been part of the national team pool through the 2024 European Championship period.
Standing 1.81 m, Baku is a right-footed full-back whose combination of pace, overlapping energy and ability to deliver from wide positions makes him a natural fit in possession-based systems that use the full-backs as attacking widths. His profile draws comparisons with a Bundesliga version of the attacking right-back profile exemplified by Joshua Kimmich in his earlier wide role.