Hassan Maatouk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hassan Maatouk

Maatouk with Ansar in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Hassan Ali Maatouk
Date of birth	(1987-08-10) 10 August 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Sir el Gharbiyeh, Lebanon
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Jwaya
Youth career
1995–1998	Rot-Weiss Essen
1998–2001	Sagesse
2001–2004	Ahed
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2017	Ahed		(53)
2011–2012	→ Ajman (loan)	21	(6)
2012	→ Emirates (loan)	0	(0)
2012–2013	→ Al-Shaab (loan)	25	(4)
2013–2017	→ Fujairah (loan)	91	(46)
2017–2019	Nejmeh	40	(20)
2019–2025	Ansar	100	(50)
2025–	Jwaya	0	(0)
International career
2003	Lebanon U17
2005	Lebanon U19
2007	Lebanon U23	11	(2)
2006–2024	Lebanon	123	(26)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 July 2025

Hassan Ali Maatouk (Arabic: حسن علي معتوق; born 10 August 1987) is a Lebanese professional footballer. He plays as a forward for the Jwaya club in Lebanon.

Maatouk is famous for his speed and amazing skills. He is the Lebanon national team's all-time top goal scorer. He has also played the most games for his country. From 2016 to 2024, he was the team's captain.

Hassan Maatouk started his career at age 17 in 2004 with Ahed in Lebanon. He won 12 trophies with them, including three league titles. In 2011, he moved to the UAE. There, he played for Ajman, Emirates, and Fujairah. He became Fujairah's top scorer with 56 goals.

He returned to Lebanon in 2017 and joined Nejmeh. He won two Lebanese Elite Cups and was named the league's Best Player twice. In 2019, Maatouk joined Ansar. He helped them win their first league title in 14 years in 2021. He was also the league's top scorer that season. In 2025, he joined Jwaya.

Maatouk first played for Lebanon in 2006 when he was 19. He scored his first goal for Lebanon in 2011 and his last in 2024. In his final game, he scored three goals! He became captain in 2016. He led Lebanon to qualify for the Asian Cup for the first time in 2019. In 2022, Maatouk became the first Lebanese player to play 100 international games. He ended his international career with 26 goals in 123 games.

Early Life and First Steps in Football

Hassan Maatouk was born on 10 August 1987, in Sir el Gharbiyeh, Lebanon. In 1989, his family moved to Germany because of the Lebanese Civil War. In Germany, Hassan started playing football. He joined the youth team of Rot-Weiss Essen and played there for three years.

Hassan's talent caught the eye of scouts from the German team Schalke. However, his family had to return to Lebanon in 1998. This meant Hassan could not play for Schalke. He said his time in Europe was very important for his development as a player.

Back in Lebanon, Maatouk played for Sagesse's youth team. He played in friendly games but did not sign a long-term contract. At that time, it was common for clubs in Lebanon to ask players to sign lifetime contracts.

When he was 15, Jamal Al Haj, a supervisor for Ahed's youth team, noticed Maatouk. Hassan's family needed money to fix their minibus, which was their only way to earn income. So, Maatouk decided to sign with Ahed for $2,000 and a monthly salary of $150.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Ahed (2004–2011)

Hassan Maatouk started his senior career at Ahed when he was 17. He played his first game on 28 September 2004. His first league goal came on 20 March 2005. He scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory. He also scored two goals in one game for the first time two months later.

In 2005, he scored three goals in the 2005 AFC Cup. He also won the Lebanese FA Cup that year. In the final, he was named the best player of the match.

On 5 February 2006, Maatouk scored his first three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Salam Zgharta. He scored eight goals in the league that season. In the 2007–08 season, he scored another hat-trick. He helped Ahed win their first-ever Lebanese League title.

Maatouk helped Ahed win many trophies. In the 2008–09 season, they won the Lebanese FA Cup, the Lebanese Elite Cup, and the Lebanese Super Cup.

In the 2009–10 season, Maatouk scored 12 goals. He was also named the Lebanese Premier League Best Player. In his last full season with Ahed (2010–11), he scored 15 league goals. He became the league's top scorer. He also helped his team win four trophies in one season: the league, the FA Cup, the Elite Cup, and the Super Cup. He won his second Best Player award.

In total, Maatouk scored 53 league goals for Ahed. He won 12 trophies with the team.

Time in the UAE (2011–2017)

In September 2011, Maatouk moved to the UAE Pro League. He joined Ajman on a loan deal. He scored six goals for Ajman in the 2011–12 season. He scored two goals in his first game for the club.

In 2012, big European teams like Marseille and Borussia Dortmund showed interest in him.

Later, Maatouk moved to Emirates Club and then to Al-Shaab on loan. He scored four league goals for Al-Shaab.

In 2013, Maatouk joined Fujairah in the UAE First Division. He scored 20 goals in 23 games. This helped his team get promoted back to the UAE Pro League. He stayed with Fujairah for several seasons. He scored 46 goals in 91 league games. He became Fujairah's all-time top scorer with 56 goals in all competitions. He left Fujairah in July 2017.

Return to Lebanon with Nejmeh (2017–2019)

Maatouk came back to Lebanon in July 2017 and signed with Nejmeh. Soon after, he helped them win the 2017 Lebanese Elite Cup. In his first league game, he scored against his old club Ahed.

In the 2017–18 season, he scored 13 goals and made 14 assists. He was the second-highest scorer and had the most assists. He won the Lebanese Premier League Best Player award for the third time.

In August 2018, Maatouk won his second straight Elite Cup with Nejmeh. In the 2018–19 season, he scored 14 goals in 37 games. He also made seven assists. He won the Lebanese Premier League Best Player award for the fourth time.

Joining Ansar (2019–2025)

Maatouk with Ansar during the 2019 Lebanese Elite Cup final

On 3 July 2019, Maatouk joined Ansar, a rival club. His salary was the highest in Lebanese football history. He scored his first goal for Ansar in July 2019. He was the top scorer in the 2019 Lebanese Elite Cup with four goals.

The 2019–20 season was stopped due to financial issues and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maatouk with Ansar in the 2020–21 Lebanese Premier League

In the 2020–21 season, Maatouk scored his first league goal in October 2020. He scored two goals in one game against Chabab Ghazieh. He also scored three goals from penalties in one game against Bourj.

Maatouk helped Ansar win the league title and the FA Cup. He was the league's top scorer with 14 goals and also had the most assists. This was Ansar's first league title since 2007.

Maatouk faced some shoulder injuries in the 2021–22 season. He did not score in the league that year, which was a first for him. However, he scored three goals in an FA Cup game. He renewed his contract with Ansar in May 2022.

In the 2022–23 season, Maatouk scored his first league goal in 16 months. He finished the season with 10 goals and eight assists.

Maatouk with Ansar in the 2023–24 Lebanese Premier League

On 20 August 2023, Maatouk scored his 100th Lebanese Premier League goal. He also reached 250 goals in his senior career for both clubs and the national team. His contract was renewed for two more seasons in April 2024. Ansar won the FA Cup in July 2024. Maatouk was the league's top assist provider with 11 assists.

Maatouk started the 2024–25 season with a goal and an assist. In February 2025, he scored three goals in one game against his former club Ahed. In July 2025, he scored once and made three assists in a 6–1 win over Nejmeh. This was the biggest win in the history of the Beirut derby. He also scored a goal that helped Ansar secure their 15th league title. Maatouk finished the season as the league's top scorer with 17 goals.

Moving to Jwaya (2025–Present)

On 26 July 2025, Maatouk signed with Jwaya. This club was newly promoted to the Lebanese Premier League.

International Career

Youth and Early Senior Career (2003–2011)

Hassan Maatouk played for Lebanon's under-17 and under-19 teams. In 2007, he was called up for the under-23 team. He scored two goals in 11 games for the under-23 team.

His senior career for the national team began on 26 January 2006. He was 19 years old. His first goal for Lebanon came in 2011 during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored the first goal in a 4–0 win against Bangladesh. He also scored two goals against Kuwait in a 2–2 draw.

Becoming a Key Player (2012–2016)

Maatouk helped Lebanon reach the final round of the 2014 World Cup qualification for the first time. He played all eight games in that round and scored a goal against South Korea.

He also played in the 2015 Asian Cup qualifiers. He scored three goals against Thailand.

In 2014, Maatouk played in an unofficial friendly game against the Brazilian Olympic team. He scored a goal in that game.

In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Maatouk scored two goals. Lebanon did not qualify for the World Cup, but they did move on to the final round of qualification for the 2019 Asian Cup.

Captain and Record-Breaker (2016–2024)

Maatouk (left) captained Lebanon against South Korea in 2019.

After the 2016 World Cup qualifiers, Maatouk became the captain of the national team. He was very important in helping Lebanon qualify for their first-ever Asian Cup in 2019. He scored five goals in six games during the qualification rounds.

In the 2019 Asian Cup, Maatouk was Lebanon's captain. He scored a penalty kick against North Korea. Lebanon won that game 4–1.

On 19 November 2022, Maatouk played his 100th game for Lebanon. He became the first player from his country to reach 100 international games. On 22 June 2023, he scored his 22nd international goal. This made him Lebanon's all-time top scorer since 1971.

Maatouk was the team captain for the 2023 Asian Cup. He played his last game for Lebanon on 11 June 2024. In that game, he scored three goals against Bangladesh in a 4–0 win. Maatouk retired from the national team as Lebanon's top scorer with 26 goals. He also holds the record for the most games played for Lebanon, with 123 appearances.

How Hassan Maatouk Plays

Hassan Maatouk is sometimes called the "Lebanese Messi". He can play in many different attacking positions. He started as a central forward but later became a winger.

Maatouk is great at scoring goals. He is also known for his speed and amazing dribbling skills. He has excellent vision and can create chances for his teammates. He can use both feet well, which makes him a very flexible player. Maatouk is also very good at free kicks.

His coaches have praised him a lot. In 2012, Lebanon's coach, Theo Bücker, said Maatouk is a player who "comes around every 10 years." Diego Maradona called him an "outstanding" player. Miodrag Radulović, Lebanon's coach during the 2019 Asian Cup, called Maatouk a "leader" and "one of the very best players in the Middle East."

Personal Life

Hassan Maatouk and his wife, Sahar, have four children: a son, a daughter, and twin boys. Maatouk says his father, Ali, inspired him to work hard in both school and football. He also credits his brother Hussein for supporting his football journey.

When he played for Ahed, Maatouk also worked at the Lebanese Canadian Bank. He would wake up early for work and then go to training in the afternoon.

Maatouk said that his best time in football was at Fujairah. He considers Brazilian player Ronaldo the best player of all time. His favorite club is Barcelona. He believes Lebanon's best players ever are Youssef Mohamad and Roda Antar.

In 2022, FIFA released a sports show called Captains on Netflix and FIFA+. The show followed six national team captains during their 2022 World Cup qualification campaigns. Maatouk was one of the captains featured in the first season, representing Lebanon.

Career Statistics

Club

International

List of international goals scored by Hassan Maatouk

Honours and Awards

Ahed

• Lebanese Premier League: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Lebanese FA Cup: 2004–05, 2008–09, 2010–11
• Lebanese Elite Cup: 2008, 2010, 2011
• Lebanese Super Cup: 2008, 2010, 2011

Nejmeh

• Lebanese Elite Cup: 2017, 2018

Ansar

• Lebanese Premier League: 2020–21, 2024–25
• Lebanese FA Cup: 2020–21, 2023–24
• Lebanese Super Cup: 2021

Individual Awards

• Lebanese Premier League Best Player: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2017–18, 2018–19
• Lebanese Premier League Best Young Player: 2004–05
• Lebanese Premier League Team of the Season: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2017–18, 2018–19
• Lebanese Premier League top goalscorer: 2010–11, 2020–21
• Lebanese FA Cup top goalscorer: 2021–22
• Lebanese Elite Cup top goalscorer: 2008, 2019
• Lebanese Premier League top assist provider: 2017–18, 2020–21

Records

• Lebanon all-time top goalscorer: 26 goals
• Lebanon all-time appearance holder: 123 appearances
• Fujairah FC all-time top goalscorer: 56 goals

See also

In Spanish: Hassan Maatouk para niños

• List of Lebanon international footballers