Wahbi Khazri facts for kids
Khazri lining up with Tunisia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 8 February 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Ajaccio, France | ||
| Height | 1.76 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, left winger, forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Montpellier | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2003 | JS Ajaccio | ||
| 2003–2009 | Bastia | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2014 | Bastia | 171 | (31) |
| 2014–2016 | Bordeaux | 52 | (14) |
| 2016–2018 | Sunderland | 38 | (3) |
| 2017–2018 | → Rennes (loan) | 24 | (9) |
| 2018–2022 | Saint-Étienne | 100 | (33) |
| 2022– | Montpellier | 66 | (6) |
| National team | |||
| 2009 | Tunisia U20 | 1 | (1) |
| 2012 | France U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2013–2022 | Tunisia | 74 | (25) |
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Wahbi Khazri (Arabic: وَهْبِيّ خَزْرِيّ; born on February 8, 1991) is a professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder, left winger, or forward. Currently, he plays for the Ligue 1 club Montpellier.
Wahbi started his football journey at Bastia in 2004. He became a professional player in 2009. He was a key player for Bastia, helping them get promoted to Ligue 2 in 2011 and then to Ligue 1 in 2012. In 2014, he moved to another French team, Bordeaux.
Later, in 2016, Wahbi joined Sunderland in the Premier League in England. He was then loaned to Rennes for the 2017–18 season. After scoring 11 goals in 29 games, he caught the eye of Saint-Étienne, who signed him in July 2018. In 2022, Wahbi Khazri joined Montpellier.
Wahbi was born in France and played for France's youth teams. However, he chose to represent Tunisia at the senior level. He used to be the captain of the Tunisian national team. He played 74 matches and scored 25 goals for Tunisia between 2013 and 2022. He also played in five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and two World Cups (2018 and 2022).
Contents
Wahbi's Club Journey
Starting at Bastia
Wahbi Khazri was born in Ajaccio, France. He began his football career with a local team called Jeunesse Sportive Ajaccio. Later, he moved to Bastia. He was first called up to Bastia's main team on February 20, 2009. He made his first professional appearance in that match, coming on as a substitute. Bastia won the game 1–0.
He scored his first goal on March 13, 2009, helping Bastia win 1–0 against Montpellier. Wahbi quickly showed he could score goals. He scored again a few weeks later in a 3–1 win. He also scored in the last game of the season, helping Bastia win 2–1. This loss meant the other team, Troyes, was moved down to a lower league.
Playing for Bordeaux
On July 1, 2014, Wahbi signed a four-year contract with Bordeaux. He played his first game for Bordeaux on August 9, 2014, against Montpellier. Bordeaux won that match 1–0. He scored his first goal for Bordeaux in his second game, on August 17, against Monaco. He scored from a penalty kick, helping his team win 4–1.
On September 28, 2014, he scored Bordeaux's 3,400th goal in their history. His first season at Bordeaux was very successful. He became a regular starter and scored nine goals in 32 league games.
He scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season in his very first match, on August 9, 2015. On September 11, he scored a goal against the league leaders, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He managed to take the ball from the opposing goalkeeper, even though the match ended in a 2–2 draw.
Time at Sunderland
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On January 30, 2016, Khazri joined Sunderland in England. He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract. Wahbi scored his first goal for Sunderland against Manchester United on February 13, 2016. He scored with a free kick that went past the goalkeeper. Khazri also helped set up another goal, and Sunderland won 2–1.
On May 7, 2016, Wahbi scored a great goal in a 3–2 win against Chelsea. This win helped Sunderland stay in the Premier League. A sports reporter said that "His work rate was immense, pressing and probing the Chelsea defence and causing problems from set pieces."
On August 31, 2017, Khazri went back to France to play for Rennes on a loan for one season. He scored nine goals, which helped Rennes finish 5th in the league. This meant they qualified for the Europa League competition.
Joining Saint-Étienne
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On July 17, 2018, Khazri moved to Saint-Étienne and signed a four-year deal. He chose to wear the number 10 jersey. He played his first game and scored his first goal for Saint-Étienne on August 11, against Guingamp. He scored with a volley, and Saint-Étienne won 2–1. On September 28, he scored two goals in a match against Monaco, helping his team win 2–0. This was his first time scoring two goals in a game for Saint-Étienne.
On January 12, 2019, Wahbi Khazri scored the only goal in a match against Guingamp. He scored from a free kick, which brought his total goals for the season to ten. This was the most goals he had ever scored in a single league season. He finished the 2018–19 season with thirteen goals, making him the top scorer for his team.
The 2019–20 season was a bit harder for Khazri. He scored his first goal of the season on October 27. He also got injured in November and was out for several weeks. In the 2020–21 season, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a 4–1 win against Bordeaux on April 11, 2021. This game also marked his 200th match in Ligue 1.
During the 2021–22 season, on October 30, Wahbi scored his seventh goal of the season against Metz. He scored with a shot from 68 meters away! This was the furthest goal scored in Ligue 1 since 2006. He also became the team captain under the new coach.
Moving to Montpellier
On June 27, 2022, Khazri signed with Montpellier. He chose the number 99 jersey, becoming the first player for Montpellier to wear that number. On August 13, 2022, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
International Career for Tunisia
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In 2009, Wahbi Khazri played for the Tunisia Under-20 team. In 2011, he was called up to play for the France Under-21 team. He played one game for France in February 2012.
However, in late 2012, Khazri decided to play for Tunisia. He was called up for the 2013 African Cup of Nations. He also played in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. In a group game, he helped Tunisia win 4–2 against Zimbabwe. He assisted one goal and scored a penalty. This win helped Tunisia move forward in the tournament.
Wahbi was part of Tunisia's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In a match against Belgium, he assisted one goal and scored another, though Tunisia lost 5–2. In their final group game, Tunisia won 2–1 against Panama. This was Tunisia's first World Cup win since 1978! Wahbi set up one goal and then scored the winning goal himself. This goal was the 2,500th goal in World Cup history.
Khazri was the captain of the Tunisian team that finished fourth at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. In a group game, he scored to get a 1–1 draw with Mali.
On October 7, 2021, he scored his 22nd goal for Tunisia. This made him the second-highest goal scorer for the national team. In the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Khazri scored two goals in one match against Mauritania, helping Tunisia win 4–0.
In November 2022, Khazri was chosen for the Tunisia squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. On November 30, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over France. Even though they won, Tunisia was eliminated from the tournament. The day after this match, Wahbi announced he was retiring from international football.
Honours and Awards
Bastia
- Ligue 2: 2011–12 (Champions)
- Championnat National: 2010–11 (Champions)
Saint-Étienne
- Coupe de France runner-up: 2019–20 (Second place)
Individual Awards
- UNFP Ligue 2 Team of the Year: 2011–12 (Chosen as one of the best players in the league)
- UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: November 2018 (Best player of the month)
- Tunisian Footballer of the Year: 2018 (Best Tunisian footballer)
Images for kids
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Khazri (right) playing for Sunderland against Chelsea in May 2016
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Khazri with Saint-Étienne in 2020
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Khazri playing with Tunisia against Panama at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
In Spanish: Wahbi Khazri para niños
