Hilal Bassam El-Helwe ( ar, هلال بسام الحلوة, ; born 24 November 1994) is a professional

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, rugb ...

who plays as a forward for the Lebanon national team. A versatile forward, he can play both centrally and as a winger on either flank. After playing for five years in Germany for

TSV Havelse TSV Havelse is a German association football club based in Garbsen, Lower Saxony, near Hanover. History The club was founded in 1912 as ''FC Pelikan-Havelse'' by a group of thirteen young men from the small village of Havelse. They took their n ...

VfL Wolfsburg II VfL Wolfsburg II was a German association football team from the city of Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. It is the reserve team of VfL Wolfsburg. The team's greatest success has been two league championships in the tier four Regionalliga Nord in 2013 ...

, and

Hallescher FC Hallescher FC, sometimes still called by its former popular name Chemie Halle, is a German association football club based in Halle an der Saale, Saxony-Anhalt. The club currently plays in the 3. Liga, the third highest level in the German footb ...

, El-Helwe moved to Greek club Apollon Smyrnis in 2018. He returned to Germany in 2019, signing for

SV Meppen SV Meppen is a German association football club playing in Meppen, Lower Saxony. The club was founded on 29 November 1912 as ''Amisia Meppen'' and joined ''Männer-Turnverein Meppen'' on 8 February 1920 to form ''TuS Meppen 1912''. The football ...

, with whom he played for two years. El-Helwe then moved to Asia in 2021, playing for Al-Faisaly in Jordan, Ahed in Lebanon, and

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the M ...

in Malaysia. Born in Germany, El-Helwe made his international debut for Lebanon in 2015. He scored a

brace Brace(s) or bracing may refer to: Medical * Orthopaedic brace, a device used to restrict or assist body movement ** Back brace, a device limiting motion of the spine *** Milwaukee brace, a kind of back brace used in the treatment of spinal c ...

against

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

in the

2019 AFC Asian Cup The 2019 AFC Asian Cup was the 17th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in the United Arab Emirates from 5 January to 1 F ...

, helping Lebanon win their first-ever game in the competition.

Early life

El-Helwe was born to Lebanese parents in Germany; his father had moved to Germany aged seven. El-Helwe has relatives living in Lebanon.

Club career

TSV Havelse

Coming through the youth system, El-Helwe debuted for the senior side of

on 31 August 2013 coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 defeat to Eintracht Braunschweig II. His first goal in the

Regionalliga Nord The Regionalliga Nord ( en, Regional League North) is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regional ...

came on 27 October of the same year, scoring the equalizing goal against

SV Wilhelmshaven SV Wilhelmshaven is a German association football club from Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony. SV Wilhelmshaven play in the Regionalliga Nord. SV Wilhelmshaven was founded in 1905. Since 1999, Wilhelmshaven's stadium is the Jadestadion. History Pre ...

on the 14th minute. He ended his first season at the club with six goals in 26 league games. In his second season, El-Helwe scored his first domestic

on 10 October 2014 against Schwarz-Weiß Rehden. He improved on his previous tally scoring 10 goals in 33 appearances for the club, earning him a move to

the following season.

VfL Wolfsburg II

On 5 September 2015, El-Helwe debuted for VfL Wolfsburg II against his former side TSV Havelse in a 6–1 win, coming on as a substitute on the 65th minute. On 1 November 2015, he scored his first goal for the side against Borussia Hildesheim in a 5–1 away win. El-Helwe played a total of 22 league games for the side, scoring seven and assisting seven in the process. He helped Wolfsburg win the

, and played two promotion play-off games against

Jahn Regensburg Sport- und Schwimmverein Jahn Regensburg e. V., commonly known as SSV Jahn Regensburg, Jahn Regensburg, SSV Jahn or simply Jahn is a German football club based in Regensburg, Bavaria. The club is based on a gymnastics club founded in 1886 a ...

, losing 2–1 on aggregate.

Hallescher FC

On 22 June 2016,

3. Liga The 3. Liga is a professional association football league and the third division in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2. Bundesliga and the fourth-tier Regionalliga. The modern 3. Liga was formed for th ...

side

announced the acquisition of El-Helwe from VfL Wolfsburg II on a two-year contract. On 6 August 2016, he played his first league match at home against

Chemnitzer FC Chemnitzer Fußballclub e.V. is a German association football club based in Chemnitz, Saxony. The club competes in Regionalliga Nordost, the fourth tier of German football. The roots of the club go back to its establishment as Chemnitzer BC 19 ...

in a 1–1 draw, coming on as a substitute for

Sascha Pfeffer Sascha Pfeffer (born 19 October 1986) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig. He joined Dynamo Dresden from SC Borea Dresden in August 2007, and left for Chemnitzer FC five years later. After ...

on the 78th minute. El-Helwe's first goals for the club came in the form of a brace at the

DFB Pokal The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...

game against

1. FC Kaiserslautern 1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern e. V., also known as 1. FCK, FCK (), FC Kaiserslautern () or colloquially Lautern (), is a German sports club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to football, the club also operates in sev ...

on 20 August 2016, scoring two goals in four minutes in a 4–3 win. In the following season, El-Helwe scored his first league goal for the club on 22 July 2017 in the first match of the season, scoring in the 73rd minute against

SC Paderborn Sport-Club Paderborn 07 e.V., commonly known as simply SC Paderborn 07 () or SC Paderborn, is a German association football club based in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club has enjoyed its greatest successes since the turn of the mille ...

after coming off the bench in a 4–4 draw. El-Helwe scored a total of four league goals for Halle, all during the 2017–18 season.

Apollon Smyrnis

With his contract expiring, El-Helwe joined

Super League Greece The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...

side Apollon Smyrnis on a free transfer for the 2018–19 season. El-Helwe's first goal for the club, which came on 15 September 2018, was also Apollon Smyrnis' first of the season, scoring a late consolation goal against

PAS Giannina PAS Giannina Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ ΠΑΣ Γιάννινα 1966), or with its full name Panepirotikos Athlitikos Syllogos Giannina ( el, Πανηπειρωτικός Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Γιάννινα, ''Panepirotic Athleti ...

in a 2–1 defeat. On 23 February 2019, El-Helwe scored the equalizer against defending champions

AEK A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...

, with the match ending 2–1 to the opposing team. Despite finishing last in the league, El-Helwe was Apollon Smyrnis' top scorer in the 2018–19 season with three goals and one assist in 21 appearances.

SV Meppen

On 3 July 2019, 3. Liga side

announced the signing of El-Helwe on a free transfer, with his contract valid until 2021. His first goal came on 3 November 2019, scoring against

Bayern Munich II FC Bayern Munich II (''FC Bayern Munich Amateure'' until 2005) are the reserve team of German association football club FC Bayern Munich, they currently play in the Regionalliga Bayern. In 2010–11 they played in the 3. Liga, having qualified ...

in a 5–3 home win. On 12 June 2020, El-Helwe scored against his former club

coming on as a substitute. Despite him equalising the score 1–1, the match ended in a 3–2 loss. In the last two matchdays of the 2019–20 season, on 1 and 4 July 2020, El-Helwe scored two goals and assisted one. He scored a goal against

Preußen Münster Preußen or Preussen is the German word for Prussia. It also refers to: Ships * ''Preußen'' (ship), windjammer built in 1902 * SMS ''Preußen'' (1873), armored frigate * SMS ''Preußen'' (1903), pre-dreadnought Battleship * , vorpostenboot ...

in a 3–0 away win, and scored and assisted one against Eintracht Braunschewig, helping his side win 4–3. El-Helwe finished the season with five goals and three assists in 27 games, averaging a contribution every 144 minutes; SV Meppen finished in 7th place of out 20. El-Helwe scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season on 3 October 2020, in a 2–1 home defeat to

Verl Verl () is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is approximately 15 km south of Bielefeld and 10 km east of Gütersloh. In the 19th century two citizens of Verl, Johannes Otto and ...

. He agreed the termination of his contract with SV Meppen on 25 February 2021.

Al-Faisaly

On 1 March 2021, El-Helwe joined

Jordanian Pro League The Jordanian Pro League ( ar, الدوري الأردني للمحترفين) is a Jordanian professional league for men's football clubs and represents the top flight of Jordanian football. The championship consists of twelve competing teams in ...

club Al-Faisaly. He made his debut on 4 March, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute in a Jordan FA Shield game against Al-Ramtha which ended in a 2–2 draw. El-Helwe's league debut came on 10 April, in a 2–2 draw against Sahab. Following his international duty with the Lebanon national team, El-Helwe returned to Jordan on 24 June; however, he refused to attend the training session, and looked to break his contract with the club following financial disagreements.

Ahed

On 16 July 2021,

Lebanese Premier League The Lebanese First Division ( ar, الدوري اللبناني الدرجة الأولى), commonly known as the Lebanese Premier League (), is the top division of the Lebanese football league system. There are 12 teams competing in the league, ...

side Ahed announced the signing of El-Helwe, on a six-month contract. Having made his debut on 13 September, as a starter in a 1–0 win against Tripoli, El-Helwe's first goals for Ahed came on 6 November, scoring twice to help his side beat Sporting 2–0. He scored six goals in 11 games in all competitions for Ahed.

Penang

On 17 February 2022, El-Helwe joined

Malaysia Super League The Malaysia Super League ( ms, Liga Super Malaysia) is the men's top professional football division of the Malaysian football league system. Administered by the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP), now known as the Malays ...

side

. His first goal for Penang came on 9 April, scoring a

penalty Penalty or The Penalty may refer to: Sports * Penalty (golf) * Penalty (gridiron football) * Penalty (ice hockey) * Penalty (rugby) * Penalty (rugby union) * Penalty kick (association football) * Penalty shoot-out (association football) * Penal ...

in a 1–1 draw against

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...

. On 14 May, El-Helwe scored a brace against second-tier side

Perak Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand' ...

in the second round of the

Malaysia FA Cup The Malaysia FA Cup ( ms, Piala FA) is an annual national knock-out football tournament in Malaysia. The cup was first held in 1990. The competition was previously managed by Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), before being transferred to F ...

, via a penalty and a

free kick A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play. Association football In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offe ...

, to help Penang win 4–1 and progress to the quarter-finals. He scored another brace in the quarter-finals, against Sri Pahang, to qualify his team to the semi-finals. El-Helwe terminated his contract with Penang by mutual consent on 20 October, prior to the start of the 2022 Malaysia Cup the following week. He left the club with five goals and two assists in 19 league games.

International career

On 8 October 2015, El-Helwe made his debut for the Lebanon national team, starting in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying 2–0 win against

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. He played as a starter, and was subbed out after 56 minutes. El-Helwe scored his first international goal on 29 March 2016, in Lebanon's home match against Myanmar in the qualifiers, securing a 1–1 draw for his team in the 88th minute. In December 2018, he was called up for the

squad, and played in all three group stage games. On 17 January 2019, during the last game against

, he scored a volley in the 65th minute thanks to a cross by

Mohamad Haidar Mohamad Faouzi Haidar ( ar, محمد فوزي حيدر, ; born 8 November 1989) is a Lebanese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Winger, winger or Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfielder for cl ...

to put Lebanon in the lead. In the seventh minute of added time, he scored a second volley ending the encounter in a 4–1 win and giving Lebanon their first ever win in the Asian Cup. On 23 June 2021, El-Helwe scored a volley in a

2021 FIFA Arab Cup qualification The 2021 FIFA Arab Cup () was the 10th edition of the Arab Cup, the Arab world's national team football tournament; it was the first edition under FIFA's jurisdiction. It took place between 30 November and 18 December in Qatar, as a pre ...

match against

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

to help Lebanon win 1–0 and qualify for the final tournament.

Style of play

El-Helwe is a versatile striker who can also play as a winger on both sides. Despite his height of , which makes him good at holding play, he is a quick player who runs in behind the defence. El-Helwe is also a good finisher in the box. SV Meppen's sporting director, Heiner Beckmann, described El-Helwe as "physically strong, quick and very versatile in attack" upon signing for the club.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each El-Helwe goal''.

Honours

VfL Wolfsburg II *

: 2015–16 Ahed *

: 2021–22 *

Lebanese Elite Cup The Lebanese Elite Cup () is a Lebanese football annual cup competition contested by the top six teams of the previous Lebanese Premier League season. Founded in 1996 as the Super League Cup, the first edition was contested by the top five finish ...

runner-up:

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

References

External links

Profile
at Apollon Smyrnis * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Helwe, Hilal Living people 1994 births Footballers from Hanover Association football forwards Association football wingers Lebanese footballers German footballers German people of Lebanese descent TSV Havelse players VfL Wolfsburg II players Hallescher FC players Apollon Smyrnis F.C. players SV Meppen players Al-Faisaly SC players Al Ahed FC players Penang F.C. players Regionalliga players 3. Liga players Super League Greece players Jordanian Pro League players Lebanese Premier League players Malaysia Super League players Lebanon international footballers 2019 AFC Asian Cup players Lebanese expatriate footballers Lebanese expatriate sportspeople in Greece Lebanese expatriate sportspeople in Jordan Lebanese expatriate sportspeople in Malaysia German expatriate footballers German expatriate sportspeople in Greece German expatriate sportspeople in Jordan German expatriate sportspeople in Malaysia Expatriate footballers in Greece Expatriate footballers in Jordan Expatriate footballers in Malaysia