Ismael Saibari facts for kids
Saibari with Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Ismael Saibari Ben El Basra | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 January 2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Terrassa, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Bayern Munich | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2009 | Santa Terrassa CD | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Beerschot | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Anderlecht | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | KV Mechelen | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Genk | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2023 | Jong PSV | 56 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2026 | PSV | 92 | (31) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2026– | Bayern Munich | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Morocco U20 | 24 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Morocco U23 | 12 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Morocco | 35 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:30, 17 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 July 2026 |
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Ismael Saibari Ben El Basra (born 28 January 2001) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Born in Spain, he represents the Morocco national team.
Contents
About Ismael Saibari
Ismael Saibari is a talented professional footballer. He was born on January 28, 2001. He plays as an attacking midfielder or forward. Currently, he plays for the famous German club Bayern Munich. Ismael also proudly represents the Morocco national team.
His Early Life and Journey
Ismael Saibari was born in Terrassa, Spain. His family is from Ksar el-Kebir in Morocco. When he was six years old, his family moved to Willebroek, Belgium. He grew up there. In 2020, Ismael moved to the Netherlands by himself. He joined the football club PSV Eindhoven.
Ismael has triple citizenship: Moroccan, Spanish, and Belgian. He can speak several languages. These include Flemish, French, English, Arabic, and Spanish.
Playing for Clubs
Starting in Youth Teams
Ismael started his football journey in Spain and Belgium. He played for youth teams like Beerschot, Anderlecht, KV Mechelen, and Genk. In 2020, he moved to the Netherlands. He joined PSV Eindhoven and signed a three-year contract. At first, he played for Jong PSV in the Eerste Divisie.
Time at PSV Eindhoven
Ismael made his first team debut for PSV on November 1, 2020. He came on as a substitute in a 4–0 win. On August 19, 2023, he scored his first goal for PSV. It was in a 3–1 away victory against Vitesse. Later that month, he scored two goals against Rangers. This helped PSV qualify for the Champions League group stage. He was named Man of the Match for his excellent performance.
Ismael played his first Champions League group stage match on September 20. He started against Arsenal. He later extended his contract with PSV until 2028. On November 29, he scored his first Champions League goal. It was in a 3–2 away win against Sevilla.
During the 2023–24 season, Ismael played more often. He helped PSV win the 2023–24 Eredivisie league title. He played in 31 matches and scored 8 goals. In the next season, 2024–25, he became a regular starter. PSV won the league again. He played 44 matches, scoring 15 goals and making 13 assists. On October 26, 2025, he scored his first career hat-trick. This was in a 3–2 away win against Feyenoord. PSV won the league title for a third time in a row in the 2025–26 Eredivisie season. Ismael was named Player of the Year. He scored 15 goals and provided 8 assists that season.
Moving to Bayern Munich
Before the 2026–27 season, Ismael Saibari joined Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. He signed a five-year contract on July 1, 2026. The transfer fee was reported to be €50 million.
Playing for His Country: Morocco
Ismael could have played for Morocco, Belgium, or Spain. He chose to represent Morocco. He played for their youth teams, including under-15, under-16, and under-20 levels.
In June 2023, Ismael was part of the under-23 national team. They played in the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The team, known as the Atlas Lions, won their first title. This also helped them qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
On December 11, 2025, Ismael was called up to the Morocco squad. This was for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. During the tournament, Ismael faced a suspension for a mistake he made during the final match. The penalty was later reduced.
On May 26, 2026, Ismael was chosen for the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first World Cup goal in Morocco's opening 1–1 draw against Brazil. He then scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Scotland. This made him the second African player to score in his first two World Cup matches. He was also the fastest Moroccan scorer at a World Cup. His goal came within the first two minutes.
On June 24, he scored his third World Cup goal in a 4–2 victory over Haiti. He became Morocco's joint-highest goalscorer in the competition. He was also the first African player to score in each of his team's first three matches at a World Cup. He became the second African player to score three goals in a single World Cup group stage. On June 29, Ismael scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out against the Netherlands. This helped Morocco reach the round of 16. He got a hamstring injury during a 3–0 win against Canada. This injury meant he missed the quarter-finals.
Career Numbers
Here are Ismael Saibari's statistics from his club and international matches. These tables show how many games he played and how many goals he scored.
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Jong PSV | 2020–21 | Eerste Divisie | 24 | 3 | — | — | — | 24 | 3 | |||
| 2021–22 | Eerste Divisie | 26 | 5 | — | — | — | 26 | 5 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Eerste Divisie | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 55 | 9 | — | — | — | 55 | 9 | |||||
| PSV Eindhoven | 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 8 | |
| 2024–25 | Eredivisie | 29 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 15 | |
| 2025–26 | Eredivisie | 27 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 19 | |
| Total | 93 | 31 | 9 | 2 | 36 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 142 | 42 | ||
| Bayern Munich | 2026–27 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 148 | 40 | 9 | 2 | 36 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 197 | 51 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 2023 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2026 | 13 | 6 | |
| Total | 35 | 12 | |
- Morocco score listed first, score column indicates score after each Saibari goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 November 2024 | Stade de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon | 8 |  Gabon |
5–1 | 5–1 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 18 November 2024 | Honor Stadium, Oujda, Morocco | 9 |  Lesotho |
7–0 | 7–0 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 3 | 21 March 2025 | Honor Stadium, Oujda, Morocco | 10 |  Niger |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 5 September 2025 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco | 14 | Niger |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 6 | 18 November 2025 | Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier, Morocco | 19 |  Uganda |
2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 9 January 2026 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco | 24 |  Cameroon |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 8 | 2 June 2026 | Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco | 29 |  Madagascar |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 10 | 13 June 2026 | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States | 31 |  Brazil |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
| 11 | 19 June 2026 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States | 32 |  Scotland |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
| 12 | 24 June 2026 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States | 33 |  Haiti |
2–2 | 4–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
Awards and Trophies
Ismael Saibari has won many awards and trophies throughout his career:
PSV Eindhoven
- Eredivisie: 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26
- KNVB Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2022, 2023, 2025
Morocco U23
- U-23 Africa Cup of Nations: 2023
Morocco
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2025
Individual
- Eredivisie Player of the Year: 2025–26
- Eredivisie Team of the Month: November 2024, April 2025, May 2025, October 2025
- U-23 Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2023
