Ishak Belfodil ( ar, اسحاق بلفوضيل; born 12 January 1992) is an Algerian

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who plays as a striker for Qatari club

Al-Gharafa Al-Gharafa Sports Club ( ar, نادي الغرافة الرياضي) is a Qatari multisports club based in the Al Gharrafa district of Al Rayyan. It is best known for its football team, although it also has teams for other sports. It was estab ...

and the Algeria national team. A former France youth international, he was called up to the Algeria national team for the first time in August 2012.

Club career

Early career

Belfodil began his football career at OSC Elancourt, a club located in the western suburbs of Paris, and spent his formative years at the club. He later joined nearby club Trappes FC. While at Trappes, Belfodil passed the entrance tests required to attend the Clairefontaine academy, but was not selected following failure of the final test. As a result, he moved to

Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...

spending only a year at the

Camp des Loges The Camp des Loges, also known as Ooredoo Training Centre for sponsorship reasons, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is the training ground of French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The current version of the Camp des Loges opened in Nove ...

, the club's training center. Belfodil attributed only one year there primarily due to not focusing on his studies and not receiving enough playing time with his youth section. In 2004, he joined AC Boulogne Billencourt, a sports club that also trained

international International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

players

Hatem Ben Arfa Hatem Ben Arfa ( ar, حاتم بن عرفة, ; born 7 March 1987) is a French professional association football, footballer who plays as a Winger (association football), winger and attacking midfielder. Known for his flair and Dribbling#Associat ...

and

Issiar Dia Issiar Dia (born 8 June 1987) is a professional footballer who most recently played as a winger for Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor. Born in France, he represented Senegal at international level. Club career Nancy In summer 2006, Dia joined AS Na ...

. In 2007, Belfodil secured a move to

Ligue 2 Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...

club Clermont Foot. Belfodil spent only a year at Clermont and, while playing with the club under-16 team, scored nine of the team's first 15 goals in the Championnat National under-16 league becoming the top scorer of the league. His play sparked the interest of several clubs, most notably French club

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

and English clubs

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

and

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

. On 13 November 2008, Lyon announced that they had acquired Belfodil and he had signed an ''aspirant'' (youth) contract with the club until June 2011.

Lyon

For the duration of the 2008–09 season, Belfodil played on the club's under-18 team. He was a member of the team that reached the 2008–09

Coupe Gambardella The Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-18s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). The cup is regarded as an opportunity for young hopefuls to showcase their sk ...

semi-finals appearing in six matches scoring two goals. Belfodil also made one appearance on the club's

Championnat de France amateur The Championnat National 2, commonly known as National 2 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur (CFA), is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth tier of the French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue ...

team. In just the third week of the 2009–10 season, he was called up to the senior team for the club's match against

Auxerre Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...

on 22 August and made his debut in that match coming on as a substitute for

Jean-Alain Boumsong Jean-Alain Boumsong Somkong (born 14 December 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender. He began his senior career with French club Le Havre in 1997 before joining AJ Auxerre in 2000. His performances at Auxerre ...

in the 85th minute. Lyon won the match 3–0. Belfodil made his

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...

debut three days later, in the second leg of the club's

playoff round The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

match against

Anderlecht Anderlecht (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the ...

appearing as a substitute in the 60th minute for Lisandro López. On 16 July 2010, he signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal until 2014. Due to still having another year left on his ''aspirant'' (youth) contract, the contract took effect beginning 1 July 2011.

Parma

After spending six months on loan at Bologna from January to June 2012, Belfodil signed with Serie A club

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...

on 30 June 2012 for €2.5 million plus €600,000 bonuses and 20% profit of future transfer. He had a successful first season with Parma, where he scored eight Serie A goals playing as a striker and left winger.

Inter

On 5 July 2013, after long negotiations, Belfodil was announced as an

Internazionale Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is t ...

player. The transfer involved 50% of Belfodil's economic rights remaining with

, while he signed a five-year contract with Inter for a €5.75 million transfer fee. (50% of €11.5 million valuation)Parma FC SpA ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2014
PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.
/ref> On 3 February 2014, FIFA also ruled that Lyon was eligible to receive €1.8 million due to the bonus clause. Belfodil was given the number 7 shirt at Inter. He was officially introduced as an Inter player on 16 July 2013 at the ''Paladolomiti'' in

Pinzolo Pinzolo ( Lombard: ''Pinsöl'') is a small town and ''comune'' situated in Val Rendena in Trentino in the northern Italian Alps at an elevation of . The Church of Saint Vigilius of Trent stands in the town. It is mainly known as a ski resort du ...

in the same press conference as Icardi. On 22 July 2013, Belfodil scored his first goal for Inter in their 3–1 pre-season triumph over

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a th ...

; after his initial shot was saved by the goalkeeper, from the subsequent corner in the 42nd minute, Belfodil guided the ball into the net via a powerful header. After making just eight league appearances in the first half of the 2013–14 Serie A season, all of them as a substitute, Belfodil joined fellow

Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...

club

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

on loan for the remainder of the season on 31 January 2014. At Livorno, Belfodil got a lot more playing time but his form was poor in a side that was ultimately relegated, failing to register a goal or assist in his time there.

Return to Parma

On 20 June 2014, Parma bought back 50% of Belfodil's contract from Inter so that the Crociati once again owned the entirety of the player's contract. The transfer fee was €5.75 million, despite in a cashless player swaps that involved

Lorenzo Crisetig Lorenzo Crisetig (born 20 January 1993) is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Reggina. Crisetig made his competitive debut on 27 September 2011, in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League. Club career Youth career Born in Cividal ...

(€4.75 million) and

Yao Eloge Koffi Eloge Koffi Yao Guy (born 20 January 1996) is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a defender for Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem. Club career Internazionale Born in Akroukro, Ivory Coast, Yao was signed by the Serie A club Inter Milan from Parma ...

(for €1 million). After an ongoing financial crisis of the club which Parma and its intermediate holding company were declared bankrupted in the mid-season, Belfodil terminated his contract with Parma on 6 May 2015, which he waived the club the liability for the unpaid wages, despite the club also suffered from the write-down of the residual value of Belfodil's contract for about €8.25 million.

Baniyas

On 28 July 2015, Belfodil has officially joined

Baniyas Club Baniyas Sports and Cultural Club is an Emirati Sports Club, based in Al Shamkha, in the Baniyas area of Abu Dhabi. The club competes in the UAE Pro-League. Presidency * SourcePresidency Honours President's Cup *Winners: 1991–92 Division O ...

, signing a two-year contract with the UAE Arabian Gulf League side.

Standard Liège

On 31 August 2016, Belfodil signed a one-year contract with Belgian club

Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège. They are one of the most ...

, with an option to extend for another year.

Werder Bremen (loan)

On 31 August 2017, the last day of the German summer transfer window, he joined

Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...

side

Werder Bremen Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...

on a one-year loan, reportedly for a loan fee of €600,000. Werder Bremen secured an option to sign him permanently, reportedly for a transfer fee of €6.5 million, with

sporting director A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The sport ...

Frank Baumann stating it is in the "single-digit million" range.

Hoffenheim

upBelfodil with Hoffenheim in 2019 In May 2018, it was announced that Belfodil would join 1899 Hoffenheim for the 2018–19 season having signed a contract until 2022 with the club. The transfer fee paid to Standard Liège was reported as €5.5 million. On 9 February 2019 he scored back to back 2 goals in a stunning comeback against

Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...

. Hoffenheim were lagging behind by 0-3, then he scored the first goal in 75 th and the equaliser in 87 th minute to complete the comeback.

Al-Gharafa

On 21 August 2022, Belfodil signed a two-year contract with

in Qatar.

International career

Belfodil is eligible for both

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. As a youth, he considered Algeria as he was ineligible to represent France as he had not received a passport. Belfodil asked his father to inform Algeria of his intention to play for them; however, his inquiries went unnoticed. Following his move to Lyon, the

Algerian Football Federation The Algerian Football Federation (AFF); ( ar, الاتحادية الجزائرية لكرة القدم) is the governing body of football in Algeria. It was formed in 1962 and was based in the capital Algiers. It has jurisdiction on the Algerian ...

sent an invitation, but Belfodil informed them that it was too late. In 2009, Belfodil was awarded his French passport and was subsequently called up to the under-17 team to participate in the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. He appeared in all three of the team's matches as they suffered group stage elimination. Belfodil returned to international duty for the 2009–10 season under coach

Philippe Bergeroo Philippe Bergeroo (born 28 January 1954) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. For France, he earned a total number of three international caps during the late 1970s, early 1980s. He was a member of the French sq ...

with the under-18 team. He made his debut for the team on 27 October 2009 in a

friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...

against

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. On 8 December, he scored his first international youth goal in a 1–1 draw against the

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. In 2010, he finished the campaign by scored against

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

at the Cloppenburg Arena in another 1–1 draw. Belfodil remained a cog in the team under coach Bergeroo for under-19 team duty. On 12 September 2010, he scored his first goal with the team in a 2–2 draw with

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

in the 2010 edition of the Sendai Cup. In first round qualification for the

2011 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship The 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship was the tenth edition of UEFA's European Under-19 Championship since it was renamed from the original under-18 event, in 2001. The tournament took place in Romania from 20 July to 1 August 2011. France ...

, he scored the only goal in the team's final group stage match win over

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. On 25 August 2012, Belfodil was called up by

Vahid Halilhodžić Vahid Halilhodžić (; born 15 October 1952) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most controversially successful Bosnian football managers, due to his successful tenure in coaching various na ...

to the Algeria national team for the first time for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

. However, FIFA had not yet processed his allegiance switch to Algeria and his club refused to release him for the game. He was replaced by

Mohamed Seguer Mohamed Seguer ( ar, محمد سوقار; born 7 September 1985) is an Algerian football player who is currently playing as a forward for WA Tlemcen in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1. Career In 2012, he signed a two-year contract with USM ...

. On 26 September 2012, FIFA announced that Belfodil's application was processed and he was eligible to represent Algeria.

Career statistics

Club

International goals

:''Scores and results list Algeria's goal totally first''

References

External links