Urho Nissilä (born 4 April 1996) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Hungarian club Puskás Akadémia and the Finland national team.
Early life Nissilä was born in Kuopio to a Conservative Laestadian family. Nissilä and his six siblings were raised by their single-parent mother. In Laestadianism, competitive club sports are prohibited, and Nissilä only played football with his brother and friends until aged 10, when his mother reluctantly allowed him to join a youth team of Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) for the first time.
He later resigned from the Laestadian movement.Vapaa säännöistä, Helsingin Sanomat, Ari Virtanen, 13 November 2021
Club career Nissilä started his senior career with KuPS first team in Finnish top-tier Veikkausliiga.
He signed with Belgian First Division A club Zulte Waregem in June 2018. According to media, the transfer fee was the highest in the history of KuPS at the time.SS: KuPSin Urho Nissilä siirtyy Belgian pääsarjaan, Yle, 15 June 2018 He made his debut on 10 November, playing the first 58 minutes of a 2–0 win against Lokeren. In September 2019, Nissilä joined MVV Maastricht in the Dutch Eerste Divisie on a season-long loan deal.Entinen KuPS-tähti Nissilä vaihtaa seuraa ulkomailla – lainapestille Hollantiin, suomifutis.com, 3 September 2019
He returned to KuPS on loan in February 2020, and subsequently signed a permanent contract for the 2021 Veikkausliiga season. He represented KuPS in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers, helping his side to advance to the play-off round, by scoring two goals in seven qualifying matches.KuPS nousi jälleen tasoihin viime hetkellä ja iski voittomaalin jatkoajalla Konferenssiliigassa – Honka putosi jatkosta, Yle, 29 July 2021 At the end of the season, Nissilä was named the Veikkausliiga Player of the Year.Urho Nissilästä vuoden 2021 Veikkausliigapelaaja, Veikkausliiga, 2 December 2021
Nissilä joined K League 1 side Suwon FC in January 2022.Kommentti: Jotain muuta kuin Squid Game – tämän takia Veikkausliigan paras pelaaja siirtyy Etelä-Koreaan, eikä Euroopan huippusarjoihin, Yle, 18 January 2022 He managed to make 23 appearances and scored two goals for the club, before he suffered an ankle injury in the game and would miss the rest of the season. In early 2023, while attending a Suwon training camp, the club announced they will release Nissilä from his contract.Urho Nissilä katosi kuvasta ja laittoi puhelimen kiinni, Helsingin Sanomat, 10 September 2024
In the early 2023, he returned to KuPS again on a short contract, and after 19 appearances he left the club in July for taxational reasons.Minne hävisi KuPSin tähtipelaaja? Kukaan ei tunnu tietävän, Savon Sanomat, 11 October 2023 He spent a three-month hiatus from football, and travelled in Thailand and Bali, Indonesia, in the late 2023.
On 29 January 2024, Nissilä signed with Puskás Akadémia in Hungarian first-tier Nemzeti Bajnokság I (NB I), on a deal until the end of the 2024–25 season.FINN KÖZÉPPÁLYÁS ÉRKEZETT, puskasakademia.hu, 29 January 2024Huuhkajien pelaaja siirtyi Viktor Orbánin lempilapseen, Helsingin Sanomat, 29 January 2024 On 20 April, Nissilä scored his first goal in NB I, in a 5–0 home win over Paksi.Hungary » NB I 2023/2024 » 29. Round » Puskás FC - Paksi SE 5:0, worldfootball Three weeks later, on 11 May, Nissilä scored a brace, in a 3–1 away win over MTK Budapest.MTK Budapest–Puskás Akadémia 1–3, m4sport.hu On 19 March 2025, Nissilä signed a two-year contract extension.HOSSZABBÍTOTTUNK FINN KÖZÉPPÁLYÁSUNKKAL, puskasakademia.hu, 19 March 2025
International career He has represented the Finland national under-21 football team.
He made his debut for the Finland national football team on 1 September 2021 in a friendly against Wales. He substituted Jasin-Amin Assehnoun at half-time of a 0–0 home draw. Three days later he gained his first cap in FIFA World Cup qualifications when he replaced Onni Valakari as a substitute on 78th minute in Helsinki Olympic Stadium in a match against Kazakhstan.
In June 2024, after two years since his previous call-up, Nissilä made a comeback to the national team when he was named in the squad for the friendly matches against Portugal and Scotland. Later he would also make two appearances for Finland in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B.Molemmat tutut savolaisnimet mukaan Huuhkajiin, Savon Sanomat, 28 August 2024
Personal life In November 2024, it was announced that Nissilä would start his mandatory Finnish military service in April 2025.Urheilukouluun valittiin yhteensä 116 urheilijaa 22 eri lajiryhmästä, maavoimat.fi, Finnish Army, 20 November 2024
Career statistics Club Urho Nissilä, stats at Finnish FA + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsKuPS2015Veikkausliiga2344121——2962016Veikkausliiga2604030——3302017Veikkausliiga26960———3292018Veikkausliiga14163—00—204Total891420451000011419KuFu-98 (loan)2016Kakkonen11————11Zulte Waregem2018–19Belgian First Division A2100——1031MVV Maastricht (loan)2019–20Eerste Divisie8010———90KuPS (loan)2020Veikkausliiga21521—40—276KuPS2021Veikkausliiga25861—72—3811Suwon FC2022K League 122210———232KuPS2023Veikkausliiga156300010—196Puskás Akadémia2023–24NB I133—–––1332024–25NB I32532—40–3972025–26NB I5010–10–70Total508420050005910Career total23345378511721029356
International .
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsFinland202170202250202300202430Total150
Honours KuPS Veikkausliiga runner-up: 2017, 2021, 2023 Finnish Cup: 2021
Individual Veikkausliiga Player of the Year: 2021 Veikkausliiga Midfielder of the Year: 2021 Veikkausliiga Team of the Year: 2021 Veikkausliiga Player of the Month: August 2021Urho Nissilä Veikkausliigan kuukauden pelaaja, JPY, 5 September 2021
References
External links
MVV Maastricht official profile Urho Nissilä – SPL competition record