Riyad Mahrez facts for kids

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Riyad Mahrez

Mahrez with Algeria in 2014

Personal information

Date of birth

21 February 1991 (age 34)

Place of birth

Sarcelles, France

Height

1.79 m

Playing position

Right winger

Club information

Current club

Al-Ahli

Number

Youth career

2004–2009

AAS Sarcelles

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2009–2010

Quimper

(1)

2010–2013

Le Havre II

(24)

2011–2014

Le Havre

(6)

2014–2018

Leicester City

158

(42)

2018–2023

Manchester City

145

(43)

2023–

Al-Ahli

(15)

National team^‡

2014–

Algeria

(32)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Algeria
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner	2019

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 January 2025.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22 November 2024

Riyad Karim Mahrez (born 21 February 1991) is a famous footballer. He plays as a right winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli. He also captains the Algeria national team.

Mahrez started his football journey as a young player in France. He became a professional in 2009. He joined Leicester City in 2014. There, he helped them win the Championship and get promoted to the Premier League. In the 2015–16 season, he was a key player. He helped Leicester City win the Premier League title. This was a huge surprise in football history!

In 2018, Mahrez moved to Manchester City. He continued to win many trophies there. These included the Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup. He also won the UEFA Champions League in 2023. This helped Manchester City achieve a special "treble" of major trophies. Riyad Mahrez was born in France. He started playing for Algeria in 2014. He has played in the FIFA World Cup and several Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped Algeria win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019. In 2016, he was named the CAF's African Footballer of the Year.

Early Life and Beginnings

Mahrez was born in Sarcelles, France. His father was from Algeria, and his mother had Algerian and Moroccan roots. Riyad often spent his holidays in Algeria when he was growing up. Some of his childhood friends, like Wissam Ben Yedder, also became footballers.

Riyad's father also played football in Algeria. When Riyad was fifteen, his father passed away. Riyad later said that after his father's death, he became more serious about football. He felt a stronger desire to succeed.

Club Journey

Starting Out in France

Mahrez was often seen as too thin by some teams. However, his amazing ball skills always caught attention. He joined AAS Sarcelles in 2004. He even had a short trial with a Scottish club, St Mirren. But he left because of the cold weather!

In 2009, Mahrez joined Quimper. He played 22 games and scored 2 goals in his first season. He then moved to Le Havre in 2010. He chose them over bigger French teams like Paris Saint-Germain. He liked Le Havre's youth training system. He played for their reserve team first. Then, he became a regular player for the main team. He played 60 games and scored 6 goals for them.

Leicester City Success

Mahrez playing for Leicester City in 2014

Mahrez taking a free kick against Arsenal in February 2015.

While Mahrez was at Le Havre, a scout from Leicester City noticed him. Leicester City is an English club. Mahrez had never heard of Leicester. He even thought it might be a rugby club at first! On 11 January 2014, he joined Leicester City.

Winning the Championship

Mahrez made his first appearance for Leicester on 25 January 2014. He scored his first goal for the club in February. Leicester ended the season as champions. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League! It was their first time back in the Premier League in ten years.

Premier League Debut and Survival

Mahrez played his first Premier League game on 16 August 2014. He scored his first Premier League goal on 4 October 2014. Leicester City had a tough season. But they won seven of their last nine games. This helped them avoid being relegated from the Premier League. Mahrez scored two goals in a 2–0 win against Southampton. He finished the season with four goals and three assists.

Historic Premier League Title

In August 2015, Mahrez signed a new contract with Leicester. He started the season strongly. He scored two goals in the first game against Sunderland. His captain, Wes Morgan, called him the team's "match winner." By November 2015, he had scored seven goals in 10 Premier League games.

On 5 December, Mahrez scored three goals in one game (a "hat-trick"). Leicester beat Swansea City 3–0. This put Leicester at the top of the Premier League. Mahrez became the first Algerian to score a Premier League hat-trick. He and his teammates, like Jamie Vardy, were praised for their amazing form.

In April 2016, Mahrez was named in the PFA Team of the Year. Later that month, he won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award. He was the first African player to win this award. When Leicester won the Premier League title, Mahrez became the first Algerian to win a Premier League medal. It was an incredible achievement for the team and for him!

Champions League and Beyond

Mahrez signed another contract with Leicester in August 2016. In October 2016, he was nominated for the 2016 Ballon d'Or award. He finished seventh in the voting. In December 2016, he won the BBC African Footballer of the Year award. Leicester also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time. Mahrez scored four goals in that competition.

At the end of the 2016–17 season, Mahrez wanted to leave Leicester. He continued to play for the club during the 2017–18 season. He scored 12 goals in the Premier League that season.

Manchester City Trophies

On 10 July 2018, Manchester City signed Mahrez. He signed a five-year contract. The transfer fee was £60 million. This made Mahrez the most expensive African footballer at the time. He said he wanted to win the Champions League with Manchester City.

First Season Success

Mahrez played his first game for Manchester City on 5 August. They beat Chelsea 2–0 to win the 2018 FA Community Shield. On 22 September 2018, Mahrez scored two goals against Cardiff City. These were his first goals for Manchester City.

On 29 October 2018, Mahrez scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. He dedicated this goal to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Vichai was the former owner of Leicester City who had recently passed away. On 24 February 2019, Mahrez won his second title with Manchester City. They won the EFL Cup against Chelsea.

At the end of his first season, Mahrez won the Premier League title again. This was his first with Manchester City. He became the second African player to win the title with two different clubs. A week later, Manchester City won the FA Cup final. They beat Watford 6–0. This meant Mahrez became the first African player to win an English domestic "treble." This includes the Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup.

Continued Wins

In August 2019, Mahrez missed the 2019 FA Community Shield. This was due to concerns about medicine he had taken with the Algerian national team. He later played in Manchester City's first league game. He was involved in all five goals in a 5–0 win against West Ham United.

On 28 November 2020, Mahrez scored his first hat-trick for Manchester City. It was in a 5–0 home win against Burnley. On 4 May 2021, Mahrez scored two goals against Paris Saint-Germain. This helped City reach their first ever European Cup final.

In the 2021–22 Champions League, he scored seven goals. This was a record for him. He scored 24 goals in all competitions that season. This was his personal best.

Treble Winner

On 15 July 2022, Mahrez signed a new contract with Manchester City until 2025. On 22 February 2023, he scored his 20th Champions League goal. This made him the fifth African player to reach this milestone. On 22 April 2023, he scored a hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final. This was against Sheffield United.

On 10 June, Manchester City won the Champions League final. They beat Inter Milan 1–0. Mahrez became the second Algerian to win this competition. He also won the continental treble with his club. This was a truly historic achievement!

Moving to Al-Ahli

On 19 July 2023, news came that Manchester City agreed to sell Mahrez. He would join Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli. The transfer was confirmed on 28 July 2023. Mahrez signed a contract until 2027. On 11 August 2023, he made his first assist for Al-Ahli. It was in his first game for the team.

International Career with Algeria

Mahrez playing for Algeria against Belgium at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

In November 2013, Mahrez said he wanted to play for Algeria. He was born in France but has Algerian roots. He was called up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. On 31 May 2014, Mahrez played his first international game for Algeria. He was then chosen for the World Cup squad. He played in the first group game against Belgium. Algeria reached the last 16 of the tournament.

On 15 October 2014, Mahrez scored his first goal for Algeria. He also helped set up another goal. This was in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. In December 2014, he was part of Algeria's squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. He helped the team reach the quarter-finals. He scored the first goal in a 2–0 win against Senegal.

Mahrez was also in Algeria's squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. In their first game, he scored both goals in a 2–2 draw with Zimbabwe. He was named Man of the Match.

In November 2018, Mahrez scored two goals against Togo. This helped Algeria qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. In May 2019, he was named in Algeria's squad for the tournament. He was chosen to be the captain of the team. Mahrez scored a goal in a 2–1 win against Nigeria in the semi-finals. Algeria went on to win the tournament. It was their first win since 1990!

Mahrez also captained Algeria at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in January 2022.

How Riyad Mahrez Plays

Mahrez is a left-footed player. He usually plays as a right winger. This position lets him cut inside and shoot with his stronger foot. He can also send passes into the penalty area. He is a very flexible player. He can play anywhere in attack. This includes as an attacking midfielder or even a false 9.

He is known for being quick, creative, and very skilled with the ball. His main strengths are his tricks, balance, speed, and dribbling skills. He can score goals, but he is also great at creating chances for his teammates. He provides many assists.

When he was younger, people noticed his ball skills. But he was often overlooked because he was thin. His youth coach advised him to use his intelligence to avoid tackles. He believed Riyad was not strong enough for physical challenges. Riyad learned to play smartly.

Leicester's former scout, Steve Walsh, said Mahrez was "a bit raw" but had a "great touch." He could "kill the ball dead" and "go past people." He liked Riyad's positive way of playing. Mahrez has said his former Leicester manager, Claudio Ranieri, helped him improve his game. At Manchester City, under manager Pep Guardiola, he also got better at defending. He also improved his decision-making. Mahrez even has his own special move called "La spéciale." He fakes a shot with his left foot. Then, he flicks the ball behind his right foot to dribble past his opponent.

Personal Life

Riyad Mahrez married Rita Johal in 2015. They had a daughter later that year. They later had two daughters. In October 2020, it was confirmed that Mahrez was in a relationship with English model Taylor Ward. They got engaged in June 2021. The couple had a daughter in July 2022.

Mahrez is a practicing Muslim. In June 2017, he made a religious trip called Umrah to Mecca.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Quimper	2009–10	CFA	27	1	0	0	—		—		—		27	1
Le Havre II	2010–11	CFA	32	13	0	0	0	0	—		—		32	13
	2011–12	CFA	25	11	0	0	0	0	—		—		25	11
	2012–13	CFA	3	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		3	0
	Total		60	24	0	0	0	0	—		—		60	24
Le Havre	2011–12	Ligue 2	9	0	0	0	0	0	—		—		9	0
	2012–13	Ligue 2	34	4	4	1	1	0	—		—		39	5
	2013–14	Ligue 2	17	2	0	0	2	3	—		—		19	5
	Total		60	6	4	1	3	3	—		—		67	10
Leicester City	2013–14	Championship	19	3	0	0	0	0	—		—		19	3
	2014–15	Premier League	30	4	1	0	1	0	—		—		32	4
	2015–16	Premier League	37	17	0	0	2	1	—		—		39	18
	2016–17	Premier League	36	6	2	0	0	0	9	4	1	0	48	10
	2017–18	Premier League	36	12	3	0	2	1	—		—		41	13
	Total		158	42	6	0	5	2	9	4	1	0	179	48
Manchester City	2018–19	Premier League	27	7	5	2	5	2	6	1	1	0	44	12
	2019–20	Premier League	33	11	5	0	5	1	7	1	0	0	50	13
	2020–21	Premier League	27	9	4	0	5	1	12	4	—		48	14
	2021–22	Premier League	28	11	4	4	2	2	12	7	1	0	47	24
	2022–23	Premier League	30	5	5	5	2	2	9	3	1	0	47	15
	Total		145	43	23	11	19	8	46	16	3	0	236	78
Al-Ahli	2023–24	Saudi Pro League	32	11	1	1	—		—		—		33	12
	2024–25	Saudi Pro League	16	4	0	0	—		6	3	1	0	23	7
	Total		48	15	1	1	—		6	3	1	0	56	19
Career total			498	131	34	13	27	13	61	23	5	0	625	180

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Algeria	2014	9	2
	2015	13	2
	2016	5	2
	2017	8	2
	2018	8	2
	2019	14	5
	2020	4	3
	2021	9	8
	2022	9	2
	2023	10	2
	2024	9	2
Total		98	32

Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mahrez goal

List of international goals scored by Riyad Mahrez
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	15 October 2014	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Malawi	2–0	3–0	2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2	15 November 2014	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Ethiopia	2–1	3–1	2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
3	27 January 2015	Estadio de Malabo, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea	Senegal	1–0	2–0	2015 Africa Cup of Nations
4	17 November 2015	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Tanzania	3–0	7–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	4 September 2016	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Lesotho	2–0	6–0	2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
6	4 September 2016	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Lesotho	6–0	6–0	2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
7	15 January 2017	Stade de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon	Zimbabwe	1–0	2–2	2017 Africa Cup of Nations
8	15 January 2017	Stade de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon	Zimbabwe	2–2	2–2	2017 Africa Cup of Nations
9	18 November 2018	Stade Municipal, Lomé, Togo	Togo	1–0	4–1	2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
10	18 November 2018	Stade Municipal, Lomé, Togo	Togo	3–0	4–1	2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
11	23 June 2019	30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	Kenya	2–0	2–0	2019 Africa Cup of Nations
12	7 July 2019	30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	Guinea	2–0	3–0	2019 Africa Cup of Nations
13	14 July 2019	Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	Nigeria	2–1	2–1	2019 Africa Cup of Nations
14	15 October 2019	Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France	Colombia	2–0	3–0	Friendly
15	15 October 2019	Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille, France	Colombia	3–0	3–0	Friendly
16	13 October 2020	Cars Jeans Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands	Mexico	2–2	2–2	Friendly
17	12 November 2020	Stade du 5 Juillet, Algiers, Algeria	Zimbabwe	3–0	3–1	2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
18	16 November 2020	National Sports Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe	2–0	2–2	2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
19	29 March 2021	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Botswana	3–0	5–0	2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
20	6 June 2021	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Mali	1–0	1–0	Friendly
21	11 June 2021	Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès, Tunisia	Tunisia	2–0	2–0	Friendly
22	2 September 2021	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Djibouti	7–0	8–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
23	8 October 2021	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Niger	1–0	6–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
24	8 October 2021	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Niger	3–1	6–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
25	12 October 2021	Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey, Niger	Niger	1–0	4–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
26	16 November 2021	Mustapha Tchaker Stadium, Blida, Algeria	Burkina Faso	1–0	2–2	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
27	27 September 2022	Olympic Stadium, Oran, Algeria	Nigeria	1–1	2–1	Friendly
28	16 November 2022	Olympic Stadium, Oran, Algeria	Mali	1–0	1–1	Friendly
29	23 March 2023	Nelson Mandela Stadium, Algiers, Algeria	Niger	2–1	2–1	2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
30	20 June 2023	19 May 1956 Stadium, Annaba, Algeria	Tunisia	1–1	1–1	Friendly
31	9 January 2024	Stade de Kégué, Lomé, Togo	Burundi	2–0	4–0	Friendly
32	17 November 2024	Hocine Aït Ahmed Stadium, Tizi Ouzou, Algeria	Liberia	2–1	5–1	2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification