Riyad Mahrez facts for kids
.jpg)
Mahrez with Algeria in 2014
|
||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Riyad Karim Mahrez | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 February 1991 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sarcelles, France | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right winger | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
|
Current team
|
Al-Ahli | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | AAS Sarcelles | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Quimper | 27 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Le Havre II | 60 | (24) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Le Havre | 60 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2018 | Leicester City | 158 | (42) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2023 | Manchester City | 145 | (43) | |||||||||||||
| 2023– | Al-Ahli | 63 | (19) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014– | Algeria | 103 | (32) | |||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 June 2025 |
||||||||||||||||
Riyad Karim Mahrez (born 21 February 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger. He plays for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and is the captain of the Algeria national team. Many people consider him one of the best African players ever.
Riyad Mahrez started his football journey as a young player at a French club called AAS Sarcelles. He became a professional player in 2009 with Quimper. After just one season there, he moved to Le Havre, where he spent three years. He first played for their reserve team before becoming a regular player for the main team.
In January 2014, Mahrez joined the English team Leicester City. He helped them win the Championship and get promoted to the Premier League in his first season. In the 2015–16 season, he was named the Algerian Footballer of the Year and the PFA Players' Player of the Year. He was also part of the Premier League PFA Team of the Year as he helped Leicester City win the Premier League title.
Mahrez moved to Manchester City in 2018. In his first season, he won the Premier League, FA Cup, and EFL Cup. He went on to win four more league titles, another FA Cup, two more EFL Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2022–23. This was part of a huge achievement called a continental treble, where a team wins three major trophies in one season.
Born in France, Mahrez first played for Algeria in 2014. He represented his country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and several Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, including 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. He helped Algeria win the 2019 tournament. In 2016, he was named CAF's African Footballer of the Year.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Riyad Mahrez was born in Sarcelles, France. His father was Algerian, and his mother had both Algerian and Moroccan roots. Growing up, Riyad often spent his holidays in Algeria. Some of his childhood friends, like Wissam Ben Yedder, also became footballers.
Riyad's father, Ahmed, had played football in Algeria. When Riyad was fifteen, his father sadly passed away from a heart attack. Riyad later said that after his father's death, he became more serious about football. He felt a stronger desire to succeed.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in France
Even though teams often overlooked Mahrez because he was quite thin, he developed amazing ball skills that got him noticed. He joined AAS Sarcelles in 2004. He also had a short trial with a Scottish club, St Mirren, but he left because of the cold weather.
In 2009, Mahrez joined CFA team Quimper. He played 22 games and scored 2 goals in his first season. While playing for Quimper, he lived with fellow footballer Mathias Pogba.
He then joined Le Havre in 2010. He chose them over bigger French teams like Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille because he liked Le Havre's youth training system. He first played for their reserve team, Le Havre II. From 2011 until January 2014, he played 60 games for the main team in the French Ligue 2 and scored 6 goals. He felt that Ligue 2 focused too much on defense, with teams often aiming for a 0-0 draw.
Time at Leicester City
.jpg)
Joining Leicester and Promotion
While Mahrez was playing for Le Havre, Leicester City's scout, Steve Walsh, was watching another player. But he was really impressed by Mahrez instead. Riyad had never heard of Leicester and first thought it was a rugby club! On 11 January 2014, Leicester City signed him for about £450,000. His friends and family were worried about him moving to English football because it was known for being very physical. They thought his playing style would be better suited for Spain.
Mahrez played his first game for Leicester on 25 January 2014. He came on as a substitute in a 2-0 win against Middlesbrough. He scored his first goal for the club, an equalizer against Nottingham Forest, in February 2014. Leicester won the Championship that season, returning to the Premier League after ten years.
Premier League Success
Mahrez played his first Premier League game on 16 August 2014. He scored his first Premier League goal on 4 October 2014 in a 2-2 draw with Burnley. Leicester managed to avoid being relegated from the Premier League that season by winning seven of their last nine matches. Mahrez scored two goals in a 2-0 win against Southampton on 9 May. He finished the season with four goals and three assists in 30 games.
In August 2015, he signed a new four-year contract with Leicester. On 8 August 2015, Mahrez scored two goals in the first game of the season against Sunderland, helping Leicester win 4-2 at home. His captain, Wes Morgan, called him the team's "match winner" because of his great form.
By November 2015, he had scored seven goals in 10 Premier League games. On 5 December, Mahrez scored three goals (a hat-trick) as Leicester beat Swansea City 3-0 to reach the top of the Premier League. This made him the first Algerian to score a Premier League hat-trick. Mahrez and his midfield teammates were praised for Leicester's amazing start to the season.
In January 2016, Mahrez's value was said to have increased a lot, making him one of the most valuable players in Europe. His popularity in Algeria was so huge that Leicester City had almost three times more Facebook fans in Algeria than in the UK!
In April 2016, Mahrez was one of four Leicester players chosen for the PFA Team of the Year. Later that month, he won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, becoming the first African player to receive this honor. When Leicester won the Premier League title, Mahrez became the first Algerian to win a Premier League medal.
Later Seasons at Leicester
He signed another four-year contract with Leicester in August 2016. In October 2016, he was nominated for the Ballon d'Or award, finishing seventh. He also won the BBC African Footballer of the Year award in December 2016. Although Leicester's overall performance dropped, Mahrez helped the team reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time, scoring four goals and providing two assists. On 6 May, Mahrez played his 100th Premier League game for Leicester against Watford, scoring a goal in that match.
At the end of the 2016–17 season, Mahrez said he wanted to leave Leicester. Roma had an offer for him rejected in July 2017. In January 2018, he again asked to leave the club. A move to Manchester City didn't happen at that time.
Moving to Manchester City
First Season at City
On 10 July 2018, Manchester City announced they had signed Mahrez on a five-year contract. The transfer fee of £60 million made Mahrez the most expensive African footballer at the time. It was also Manchester City's most expensive signing and a record amount received by Leicester City. Mahrez said he wanted to win the Champions League with his new club.
He played his first game for City on 5 August, when they beat Chelsea 2-0 to win the 2018 FA Community Shield. On 22 September 2018, Mahrez scored two goals for City against Cardiff City, with the first being his very first goal for Manchester City.
On 29 October 2018, Mahrez scored the only goal in Manchester City's 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. He dedicated this goal to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the former owner of Leicester City, who had recently passed away in a helicopter crash. On 24 February 2019, Mahrez won his second title with Manchester City, the EFL Cup, against Chelsea.
At the end of his first season with Manchester City, Mahrez won the Premier League title for the second time in his career. He became the second African player to win the title with two different clubs. A week later, in the FA Cup final, he won his fourth title of the season after beating Watford 6-0. This made him the first African player to complete an English domestic treble, as he had also won the 2018–19 EFL Cup and the 2018–19 Premier League.
Continued Success at City
In August 2019, Mahrez missed the 2019 FA Community Shield due to concerns about medicine he had received from the Algerian national team. He later played in Manchester City's 5-0 win against West Ham United, helping with two assists and winning a penalty.
On 28 November 2020, Mahrez scored his first hat-trick for City in a 5-0 home league win over Burnley. On 4 May 2021, Mahrez scored both goals in a 2-0 home win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals. He also scored a free kick in the first leg, helping City reach their first European Cup final in the club's history.
In the Champions League season, he scored a record seven goals for himself. He scored 24 goals in all competitions that season, which was his personal best.
Winning the Treble
On 15 July 2022, Manchester City announced that Mahrez had signed a new contract until 2025. On 22 February 2023, he scored his 20th goal in the Champions League, becoming the fifth African player to achieve this. On 22 April 2023, he became the first player since 1958 to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final, scoring three times against Sheffield United in a 3-0 win.
On 10 June 2023, Manchester City won 1-0 against Inter Milan in the Champions League final. Mahrez became the second Algerian to win this competition. He also helped his club win the continental treble, even though he didn't play in the FA Cup or Champions League finals.
Move to Al-Ahli
On 19 July 2023, it was reported that Manchester City had agreed to a deal for Mahrez to join Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli for £30 million. The transfer was confirmed on 28 July 2023, with Mahrez signing a contract until 2027. On 11 August 2023, Mahrez provided his first assist for Al-Ahli in his first game, helping Roberto Firmino score in a win against Al-Hazem.
International Career with Algeria
In November 2013, Riyad Mahrez, who was born in France, said he wanted to play for Algeria. He was chosen for Algeria's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 31 May 2014, Mahrez played his first international game for Algeria in a friendly match against Armenia. He was then selected for the World Cup squad.
Mahrez played in Algeria's first group game against Belgium at the World Cup. Algeria reached the last 16 of the tournament.
On 15 October 2014, Mahrez scored his first goal for Algeria. He also set up a goal for Islam Slimani in Algeria's 3-0 win against Malawi in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. In December 2014, he was part of Algeria's squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. In their last group game against Senegal, Mahrez scored the first goal in a 2-0 win, helping Algeria reach the quarter-finals.
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 and was named Man of the Match.
In May 2019, he was chosen for Algeria's team for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Coach Djamel Belmadi made Mahrez the captain of the team. Mahrez scored a crucial goal in a 2-1 win against Nigeria in the semi-finals. Algeria went on to win the tournament, which was their first since 1990.
Mahrez captained Algeria at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, held in January 2022. In December 2023, he was named in the squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. On 21 March 2025, Mahrez played his 100th international match in a 3-1 win over Botswana during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Playing Style and Skills
Riyad Mahrez is a left-footed player who usually plays as a right winger. He is considered one of the best wingers in the world. This position allows him to move towards the center of the field and shoot with his stronger left foot, or to send passes into the penalty area. He is a very flexible player who can play anywhere in the attacking line, as an attacking midfielder, on either side as a winger, or even as a false 9 (a forward who drops deeper).
Mahrez is known for being quick, creative, and very skilled with the ball. His main qualities include his cleverness, balance, speed, flair, and amazing dribbling skills. While he can score goals, he is also excellent at providing assists because he can create chances for his teammates.
When he was younger, he was known for his ball skills but was often overlooked because he was so thin. When his youth coaches first saw him, they noticed his talent, his good set-piece taking, and his excellent technique and dribbling with both feet. However, they also saw that he was very slim and lacked tactical understanding, as he mostly played by instinct from street football. After signing him, his coach advised him to use his intelligence to avoid tackles, as he wasn't strong enough for physical challenges.
Steve Walsh, Leicester's former head of recruitment, said that when he first saw Mahrez, he was "a bit raw but he had a great touch." He could control the ball perfectly and get past defenders. Walsh liked his positive attitude. Mahrez has said that his former Leicester manager, Claudio Ranieri, helped him improve the tactical side of his game. During his time at Manchester City, under manager Pep Guardiola, Mahrez also got better at defending and making smarter decisions. Mahrez even developed his own special move called "La spéciale," where he fakes a shot with his left foot, then quickly flicks the ball behind his right foot to dribble past his opponent.
Mahrez's career is also known for his leadership. He captained Algeria to their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title, scoring a key free-kick in the semi-final. His role in Algeria's efforts to reach the 2026 World Cup shows how important he still is to the team.
Personal Life
Riyad Mahrez is a practicing Muslim. In June 2017, he made the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca.
In May 2020, Mahrez's apartment in Manchester was burgled, and he lost many valuable items.
Honours
Leicester City
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
- FA Cup: 2018–19, 2022–23
- EFL Cup: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
- FA Community Shield: 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2022–23; runner-up: 2020–21
Al-Ahli
- AFC Champions League Elite: 2024–25
Algeria
Individual Awards
- CAF African Footballer of the Year: 2016
- BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2016
- Algerian Footballer of the Year: 2015, 2016
- PFA Team of the Year: 2015–16 Premier League
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2015–16
- PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Leicester City Player of the Year: 2015–16
- El Heddaf Arab Footballer of the Year: 2016
- Lion d'Or African Footballer of the Year: 2016
- CAF Team of the Year: 2016, 2018, 2019
- CAF Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2019
- African Goal of the Year: 2019
- IFFHS CAF Men Team of The Year: 2020
- IFFHS CAF Men's Team of the Decade 2011–2020
- PFA Fans' Player of the Month: March 2021 January 2023
- Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2021
- IFFHS CAF World's Best Playmaker: 2021
See also
In Spanish: Riyad Mahrez para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
