Hachim Mastour facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hachim Mastour

Mastour with AC Milan in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth	(1998-06-15) 15 June 1998 (age 27)
Place of birth	Reggio Emilia, Italy
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
2008–2012	Reggiana
2012–2014	AC Milan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2014–2018	AC Milan	0	(0)
2015–2016	→ Málaga (loan)	1	(0)
2016–2017	→ PEC Zwolle (loan)	5	(0)
2018–2019	Lamia	4	(0)
2019–2021	Reggina	10	(0)
2021	→ Carpi (loan)	10	(1)
2022–2023	Renaissance Zemamra	12	(3)
2023–2024	Union de Touarga	9	(0)
National team‡
2013	Italy U16	7	(1)
2016	Morocco U23	1	(0)
2015	Morocco	1	(0)
2016	Morocco A'	1	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 July 2023. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 April 2017

Hachim Mastour (born 15 June 1998) is a professional football player. He plays as an attacking midfielder or a second striker.

Hachim started his football journey at Reggiana. At just 14 years old, he joined AC Milan for €500,000. In 2015, he was loaned to Málaga in Spain. He played only one game there before returning to Milan early. After that, he went on loan to PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands. Later, he signed a permanent deal with Lamia in Greece.

In 2019, Mastour came back to Italy. He played for Reggina and Carpi in the Serie C league. After being without a club for a year, he joined Renaissance Zemamra in Morocco. He helped them get promoted back to the top league.

Mastour was born in Italy and played for Italy's Under-16 team. Later, he chose to play for Morocco, his family's home country. In June 2015, he became Morocco's youngest player ever to make his senior debut.

Hachim Mastour's Club Career

Early Years and Youth Teams

Hachim Mastour was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy. His parents are from Morocco. He began playing football at his local club, AC Reggiana. In early 2012, when he was 13, he played in youth tournaments for Inter Milan. This was special because rules usually stopped him from leaving Reggiana until his next birthday.

In January 2012, he scored five goals in the Ielasi Memorial tournament. One of his goals was in the final against A.S. Roma. Big clubs like Juventus, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester City were interested in him. But Mastour decided to join AC Milan. This move was suggested by former manager Arrigo Sacchi. AC Milan paid €500,000 for him. Soon after signing, he did an interview with Sky Italia. During the interview, he showed off his amazing ball skills using a cherry!

Playing for AC Milan

In 2014, AC Milan's manager, Clarence Seedorf, brought Mastour into the first team. This was for the last match of the 2013–14 Serie A season. If he had played, he would have been the youngest AC Milan player ever in the league. However, he stayed on the bench during the 2–1 win against Sassuolo.

Loan to Malaga

On 31 August 2015, Mastour was loaned to Málaga CF in Spain for two seasons. The club owner, Abdullah al-Thani, specifically asked for him. Because Hachim was still a minor, FIFA had to approve his move to another country. This approval came on 5 November.

He was first named in the team for a game against Real Betis. Two days later, he made his first official club appearance. He played for five minutes as a substitute in a 0–1 loss. On 7 July 2016, after playing only one game all season, Málaga ended his loan early. He then went back to AC Milan.

Loan to Zwolle

On 14 July 2016, Mastour joined the Dutch club PEC Zwolle for a season-long loan. He played his first game in the Eredivisie league on 13 August. He came on as a substitute for the last 17 minutes in a 0–3 loss to Sparta Rotterdam. After his loan ended, he returned to AC Milan, as he still had one year left on his contract.

Playing for Lamia

On 4 September 2018, Greek Superleague club Lamia announced they had signed Mastour. He joined them for free, on a contract worth €200,000 per year. In December, he was reported as absent. In February, his father said it was due to an injury. After playing six games without scoring in seven months, his contract was ended by agreement on 4 March 2019. The next month, he trained with Parma.

Reggina and Loan to Carpi

Mastour signed a three-year contract with Serie C team Reggina on 18 October 2019. He played his first game on 22 January 2020. He came on as a substitute in the 81st minute of a 2–1 home loss to Virtus Francavilla.

On 14 January 2021, after playing for Reggina in the first half of the season, he was loaned to Serie C club Carpi. This loan lasted until the end of the season. On 24 January, he scored his first professional goal. It was in a 5–1 loss against Sambenedettese.

Renaissance Zemamra

After not having a club since July 2021, Mastour signed with the Moroccan team Renaissance Zemamra. This was on 28 June 2022. He scored in his very first game for the club. It was a 3–1 win against Jenuesse Ben Guerir on 11 September.

International Career

Mastour played seven games and scored one goal for Italy's Under-16 team. His first international game was on 18 August 2013. He played the first half of a 3–0 friendly win against Qatar. On 11 March the next year, he scored a late goal in a 2–1 win over Croatia.

Hachim could play for either Italy or Morocco. On 19 May 2015, he announced he would play for Morocco. He felt Morocco was his country. He was given the chance to play for Morocco's senior team right away. If he chose Italy, he would have had to work harder to earn a spot.

On 12 June 2015, he made his international debut for Morocco. This was in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification Group F match against Libya. He came on as a substitute for the last two minutes in a 1–0 victory.

After his debut for Morocco, Mastour was called up to the Morocco A' national football team and Morocco Under-23 team. This was for friendly games against Liberia and Palestine Under-23 teams in 2016.

Hachim Mastour's Playing Style

Mastour is known as a "fantasista" in Italian football. This means he is a creative and skillful player. He is quick, agile, and has excellent technique. He is also good at understanding the game. His favorite position is an attacking midfielder. But he can also play as a second striker or a winger. He is naturally right-footed but can use both feet well.

At age 14, Mastour said his best skills were his ball control and dribbling. In 2015, Fabio Balaudo from UEFA.com added that his amazing dribbling and technique made him very hard to mark. He could control the ball at high speed, shoot well with both feet, and change pace quickly. People expected him to be a great player behind the forwards or as a winger.

A former coach compared Mastour to Wesley Sneijder. This was because he could set up plays from behind the forward line. His tricks with the ball also made people compare him to Ronaldinho and Neymar. Many experts have also pointed out Mastour's amazing ball-juggling skills.

In 2014, Omar Danesi, a coach at AC Milan, praised Mastour's speed and ability to keep the ball from defenders. He believed Mastour would play for the first team. But he also said Mastour needed enough time to improve. Filippo Galli, AC Milan's youth director, said that "nobody at Milan has any doubts about Hachim's ability."

When he was younger, Mastour was seen as a very promising talent. In 2015, The Guardian newspaper named him one of the 50 best young players in the world born in 1998. However, despite his talent, he has found it hard to play regularly at the professional level. Some experts wonder if he can handle the pressure needed to reach his full potential.

Paul Grech noted in 2018 that Mastour might not be physically strong enough for the top level. This is because he is not very tall, at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m). His former manager, Gennaro Gattuso, talked about Mastour in 2018. He said, "We've talked a lot lately. I even threatened him because he became more famous for making videos than playing, but he doesn't do that any more because I told him I'd knock his teeth out!" Gattuso also said Mastour had improved in training and needed to play consistently.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Honours

Renaissance Zemamra

• Botola 2: 2022–23

See also

In Spanish: Hachim Mastour para niños