close
Jump to content

Ismael Saibari

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ismael Saibari
Saibari with Morocco at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Birth name Ismael Saibari Ben El Basra
Date of birth (2001-01-28) 28 January 2001 (age 25)
Place of birth Terrassa, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Positions
Team information
Current team
 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)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Morocco
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner2025 Morocco
U-23 Africa Cup of Nations
Winner2023 Morocco
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:30, 17 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 4 July 2026

Ismael Saibari Ben El Basra[i] (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.

Early life

[edit]

Ismael Saibari was born on 28 January 2001 in Terrassa, Spain, to a Moroccan family from Ksar el-Kebir.[1] When Saibari was six, his family moved to Willebroek in Belgium where he was raised. In 2020, Saibari moved to the Netherlands alone when he joined PSV Eindhoven.[2][1]

Saibari holds triple Moroccan, Spanish and Belgian citizenship.[3] Saibari can speak Flemish, French, English, Arabic and Spanish.[2]

Club career

[edit]

Youth career

[edit]

Saibari began his youth career in Spain and Belgium, spending time at Beerschot, Anderlecht, KV Mechelen and Genk, before moving to the Netherlands to join PSV Eindhoven on 29 July 2020, signing a three-year contract.[4] He initially featured for Jong PSV in the Eerste Divisie.

PSV

[edit]

Saibari made his senior debut for PSV in the Eredivisie on 1 November that year, coming on as a substitute for Mario Götze in a 4–0 victory over ADO Den Haag.[5]

On 19 August 2023, Saibari netted his first goal for PSV in a 3–1 away win over Vitesse.[6] Later that month, on August 30, he scored twice in a 5–1 win over Rangers in the Champions League play-off round, securing a spot in the competition's group stage and earning Man of the Match honors.[7][8] Having qualified for the Champions League, he made his first group stage appearance on September 20, starting against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.[9]

Saibari extended his contract with the club until 2028.[10] Later that year, on 29 November, he scored his first goal in the Champions League in a 3–2 away victory over Sevilla.[11]

In the 2023–24 season, Saibari began to have more playing time and helped the team win the 2023–24 Eredivisie, playing in 31 matches and scoring 8 goals. In the following season, he became a regular starter and was champion of the 2024–25 Eredivisie, playing in 44 matches and having excellent numbers, with 15 goals and 13 assists in all competitions.[12] On 26 October 2025, he scored his first career hat-trick in a 3–2 away win over Feyenoord.[13] PSV eventually retained the league title in the 2025–26 Eredivisie season, with Saibari being named Player of the Year with 15 goals and 8 assists.[14]

Bayern Munich

[edit]

Ahead of the 2026–27 season, Saibari signed a five-year contract with Bundesliga club Bayern Munich on 1 July 2026, for a reported €50 million transfer fee.[15][16]

International career

[edit]
Saibari with Morocco in 2026

Saibari was eligible for Morocco, Belgium and Spain.[2] Saibari chose to represent Morocco, joining the youth ranks and representing them at under-15, under-16, and under-20 levels.[17]

Before the 2022 World Cup, Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui, indicated that he had contacted Saibari and other players, telling them they needed to fight for regular starting positions at their clubs to secure their place in the national team.[18] In 2022, Belgium's coach, Roberto Martinez, contacted Saibari to persuade him to represent the Belgian national team. Saibari commented on this, saying, "I thought it was fantastic. But I told him I had chosen Morocco."[2][19][20]

In June 2023, Saibari was included in the final squad of the under-23 national team for the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco itself,[21][22] where the Atlas Lions won their first title,[23][24] and qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[23][25]

On 11 December 2025, Saibari was called up to the Morocco squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[26] Saibari made international news on 18 January 2026 when he was penalized with a three-match suspension and $100,000 fine for unsporting conduct during the final, Subsequently the African Union committee decided to reduce a two-match and Cancellation of the monetary value.[27][28]

On 26 May 2026, Saibari was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[29] He scored his first World Cup goal in Morocco's opening 1–1 draw against Brazil.[30] He scored the only goal in the second match, a 1–0 win over Scotland, becoming the second African player after Mohamed Salah to score in his first two World Cup matches, and also the fastest Moroccan scorer at a World Cup, as his goal came within the opening two minutes.[31] On 24 June, he scored his third World Cup goal in a 4–2 victory over Haiti, becoming Morocco's joint-highest goalscorer in the competition alongside Youssef En-Nesyri, and the first African player to score in each of his team's first three matches at a World Cup.[32] In addition, he became the second African player to score three goals in a single World Cup group stage, following Papa Bouba Diop in 2002.[33] On 29 June, Saibari scored the winning penalty during the shoot-out against the Netherlands in the round of 32, helping Morocco secure a place in the round of 16.[34]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 17 May 2026[35]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Jong PSV 2020–21 Eerste Divisie 243———243
2021–22 Eerste Divisie 265———265
2022–23 Eerste Divisie 51———51
Total 559———559
PSV Eindhoven 2020–21 Eredivisie 10001[b]00020
2021–22 Eredivisie 0000000000
2022–23 Eredivisie 170307[c]01[d]0280
2023–24 Eredivisie 1950011[e]31[d]0318
2024–25 Eredivisie 29114110[e]31[d]04415
2025–26 Eredivisie 2715217[e]31[d]03719
Total 9331923694014242
Bayern Munich 2026–27 Bundesliga 0000000000
Career total 14840923694019751
  1. ↑ Includes KNVB Cup, DFB-Pokal
  2. ↑ Appearance in UEFA Europa League
  3. ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. 1 2 3 4 Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
  5. 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

[edit]
As of match played 4 July 2026[36]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Morocco 202340
202452
2025134
2026136
Total3512
Morocco score listed first, score column indicates score after each Saibari goal.[36]
List of international goals scored by Ismael Saibari
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
110 November 2024Stade de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon8 Gabon5–15–12025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
218 November 2024Honor Stadium, Oujda, Morocco9 Lesotho7–07–02025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
321 March 2025Honor Stadium, Oujda, Morocco10 Niger1–12–12026 FIFA World Cup qualification
45 September 2025Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco14 Niger1–05–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification
52–0
618 November 2025Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier, Morocco19 Uganda2–04–0Friendly
79 January 2026Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco24 Cameroon2–02–02025 Africa Cup of Nations
82 June 2026Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco29 Madagascar1–04–0Friendly
92–0
1013 June 2026MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States31 Brazil1–01–12026 FIFA World Cup
1119 June 2026Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States32 Scotland1–01–02026 FIFA World Cup
1224 June 2026Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States33 Haiti2–24–22026 FIFA World Cup

Honours

[edit]

PSV Eindhoven

Morocco U23

Morocco

Individual

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Arabic: إسماعيل صيباري, Berber languages: ⵉⵙⵎⴰⴻⵍ ⵙⴰⵉⴱⴰⵔⵉ

        References

        [edit]
        1. 1 2 Yim, Felix (14 June 2026). "Meet the Parents of Ismael Saibari". BBN Times.
        2. 1 2 3 4 "World Cup: Morocco's Ismael Saibari set for Bayern Munich". dw.com. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
        3. ↑ Dale, Javier. "Cape Verdean lesson in nationality". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
        4. ↑ Elfrink, Rik (29 July 2020). "PSV haalt met Ismael Saibari (19) een extra speler voor het beloftenteam" (in Dutch). ed.nl.
        5. ↑ "PSV shows strength against ADO Den Haag". PSV Eindhoven. 1 November 2020.
        6. ↑ "PSV warm up with comeback win over Vitesse". BBC Sport. 19 August 2023.
        7. ↑ Ünsal, Efe (21 February 2025), "How the UEFA Champions League divided Europe and harmed competitive balance within domestic leagues", The Champions? Thirty Years of the UEFA Champions League, London: Routledge, pp. 42–58, doi:10.4324/9781003607113-4, ISBN 978-1-003-60711-3, retrieved 13 September 2025{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
        8. ↑ "Rangers out of Champions League as PSV's Saibari leads 5-1 playoff thrashing". The Guardian. 30 August 2023.
        9. ↑ "Football in Europe: apolitical UEFA plays politics with football", Routledge Handbook of Football Studies, New York: Routledge, pp. 450–460, 4 October 2016, doi:10.4324/9780203066430-47, ISBN 978-0-203-06643-0, retrieved 13 September 2025{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
        10. ↑ "Contract news: Ismael Saibari extended to mid-2028". PSV Eindhoven. 26 September 2023.
        11. ↑ "Sevilla 2-3 PSV Eindhoven: Sergio Ramos scores 10,000th Champions League goal". BBC Sport. 29 November 2023.
        12. ↑ Berkmen, Y. M.; Lande, A. (December 1975). "Chest roentgenography as a window to the diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis". The American Journal of Roentgenology, Radium Therapy, and Nuclear Medicine. 125 (4): 842–846. doi:10.2214/ajr.125.4.842. ISSN 0002-9580. PMID 2023.
        13. ↑ "Ismael Saibari's hat-trick fires PSV to 3-2 win over Feyenoord in Rotterdam". nltimes.nl. 26 October 2025.
        14. ↑ "Ismael Saibari named Eredivisie Player of the Year". eredivisie.eu. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
        15. ↑ "FC Bayern sign Ismael Saibari". FC Bayern Munich. 1 July 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
        16. ↑ Stafford-Bloor, Sebastian; O'Keeffe, Greg (30 June 2026). "Bayern Munich reach agreement in principle with PSV for Morocco international Ismael Saibari". The Athletic. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
        17. ↑ "PSV : Ismael Saibari devrait rejoindre les Lionceaux". Lions De l'Atlas. 10 November 2020. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
        18. ↑ https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-du-monde/2026/coupe-du-monde-2026-avant-pays-bas-maroc-ismael-saibari-enfin-en-pleine-lumiere_sto23314178/story.shtml
        19. ↑ Kabbour, Abderrahim (2 June 2026). "Bayern Munich Open Talks to Sign Morocco's Ismael Saibari".
        20. ↑ "Saibari at the double as Morocco decimate Madagascar in friendly". www.tribalfootball.com.
        21. ↑ Jelmini, Eugenio (9 June 2023). "Sei bianconeri con le nazionali". FC Lugano (in Italian). Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
        22. ↑ "تشكيلة المنتخب الوطني لاقل من 23 سنة امام غينيا". Royal Moroccan Football Federation (in Arabic). 24 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
        23. 1 2 3 "Morocco win maiden TotalEnergies U-23 Africa Cup of Nations title with victory over Egypt: Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations 2023". CAF. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
        24. 1 2 "Le Maroc remporte la CAN U23 au bout de la prolongation". SO FOOT.com (in French). 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
        25. ↑ "Le Mali, le Maroc et l'Égypte qualifiés pour les JO 2024". SO FOOT (in French). 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
        26. ↑ "Morocco name star-studded AFCON squad as Hakimi makes cut but Diop misses out". Confederation of African Football. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
        27. ↑ "CAF suspends Pape Thiaw, Ismael Saibari after AFCON final fallout". ESPN. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
        28. ↑ "CAF bans Morocco's Ismail Saibari for three matches after AFCON final incident". GhanaSoccernet. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
        29. ↑ "Morocco squad brimming with Qatar 2022 heroes". 26 May 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
        30. ↑ MacDonald, Keifer (13 June 2026). "Brazil 1–1 Morocco". BBC Sport.
        31. ↑ "Saibari screamer seals Morocco victory". FIFA. 20 June 2026.
        32. ↑ "Saibari Becomes First Moroccan and African to Score in Three Consecutive World Cup Matches". Morocco World News. 25 June 2026.
        33. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 2026 stats: Vinicius Jr. joins Ronaldo with 5, Neymar joins Pele with 4; Alajbegovic breaks Mbappe's WC record". ESPN. 25 June 2026.
        34. ↑ Hand, Kevin; Sharma, Rohan. "Netherlands vs Morocco LIVE: FIFA World Cup 2026". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
        35. ↑ Ismael Saibari at Soccerway. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
        36. 1 2 Ismael Saibari at National-Football-Teams.com Edit this at Wikidata
        37. ↑ "PSV Eindhoven wraps up its 25th Dutch Eredivisie title by beating Sparta Rotterdam 4-2". Associated Press News. 5 May 2024.
        38. ↑ "PSV crowned Eredivisie champions for 26th time after historic Ajax collapse". Flashscore. 18 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
        39. ↑ "From championship jitters to record breakers: PSV's road to the title". Flashscore. 5 April 2026. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
        40. ↑ "PSV verrast Ajax met twee goals vlak na rust en wint KNVB-beker". NOS (in Dutch). 17 April 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
        41. ↑ "PSV wint na strafschoppen van Ajax in bekerfinale vol irritaties en opstootjes" [PSV beats Ajax after penalty kicks in cup final full off irritations and fights] (in Dutch). 30 April 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
        42. ↑ "Madueke: Nigeria prospect's brace powers PSV past 10-man Ajax in Dutch Super Cup". Goal.com. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
        43. ↑ "Lang beslist duel met Feyenoord en bezorgt PSV veertiende Johan Cruijff Schaal" [Long decided duel with Feyenoord and gives PSV fourteenth Johan Cruijff Shield]. NOS (in Dutch). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
        44. ↑ "PSV win 15th Johan Cruyff Shield after late comeback against Go Ahead Eagles". Flashscore. 3 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
        45. ↑ Bosher, Luke; Joseph, Sam; Harris, Jay (18 March 2026). "Morocco crowned AFCON winners 57 days after final as Senegal's victory declared void". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
        46. ↑ "PSV's Ismael Saibari named Player of the Year as Mika Godts wins Talent of the Year". TribalFootball. 26 May 2026.
        47. ↑ "PSV and N.E.C. main suppliers to the Eredivisie Team of the Month for November". Eredivisie. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
        48. ↑ "FC Utrecht dominates Eredivisie Team of the Month". Eredivisie. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
        49. ↑ "FC Utrecht dominates Eredivisie Team of the Month". Eredivisie. 2 May 2025.
        50. ↑ "PSV dominate October's Eredivisie Team of the Month". Eredivisie. 31 October 2025.
        51. ↑ "Morocco's U23 team crowned with African Cup of Nations". 8 July 2023.
        [edit]
        Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ismael_Saibari&oldid=1363284166"