Ellyes Skhiri was born on 10 May 1995 in Lunel, France, to Tunisian heritage. He came through Montpellier's youth ranks and made his Ligue 1 debut as a teenager. After several productive Ligue 1 seasons, 1. FC Köln signed him in summer 2019, where he developed into one of the Bundesliga's most respected defensive midfielders.
In summer 2023 Skhiri joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer. His Frankfurt career has been outstanding. The 2023–24 season brought 27 Bundesliga matches with 2 goals and 2 assists; 2024–25 produced 32 league matches with a goal and an assist, plus 12 UEFA Europa League appearances with a goal and an assist as Frankfurt continued in European competition.
The 2025–26 campaign has continued at the same level: 23 Bundesliga appearances and 8 UEFA Champions League matches, plus DFB-Pokal appearances — Frankfurt's senior central midfielder.
For Tunisia, Skhiri is the senior team's midfield anchor and captaincy candidate. He scored a goal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in 4 matches as Tunisia made the round of 16. He has continued to feature in Africa Cup of Nations qualification, friendlies, and 2026 World Cup qualifying — key leadership in the Tunisia setup.
A two-footed defensive midfielder with outstanding work rate, ball-winning instincts and the technical security to play out from the back, Skhiri is the central pillar of Tunisia's midfield heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.