Nabil Bentaleb

1.1. Birth and Early Youth Clubs

Born in Lille, France, to Algerian parents from Mostaganem, Nabil Bentaleb began his football journey at the academy of his local club, Lille. He started his youth career at AJS Wazemmes from 2001 to 2004, then joined Lille from 2004 to 2009. However, he was released from the Lille academy at the age of 15. Following this, he moved to Belgium to play for Mouscron in 2009. His youth development continued in France at USL Dunkerque from 2010 to 2012. He also underwent trials with Birmingham City before finding his next significant opportunity.

1.2. Tottenham Hotspur Youth

In January 2012, Bentaleb signed into the youth academy of Tottenham Hotspur. During the 2012-13 season, he successfully integrated into the under-21 side, where he scored four goals in fourteen matches. A notable achievement during this period was scoring the winning goal against Arsenal's Academy. His impressive performance throughout that season earned him a new four-year professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur, valid until 2018.

2.1. Tottenham Hotspur

Bentaleb made his professional debut for Tottenham Hotspur on 22 December 2013, coming on as a substitute in the 50th minute for Mousa Dembélé in a Premier League match against Southampton, which Tottenham won 3-2. His first start for Spurs came on 4 January in the FA Cup third round during the highly anticipated North London derby against Arsenal. He consistently impressed, earning the "Man of the Match" award after a strong performance against Crystal Palace and continuing his excellent form against Swansea. He notably played six consecutive full league matches after his first start against Crystal Palace, showcasing his immediate impact and talent. On 20 February 2014, he started in a UEFA Europa League match against Dnipro.

Bentaleb scored his first goal for the club on 17 December 2014, in the fifth round of the Football League Cup against Newcastle United. On 1 March 2015, he started for Tottenham in the 2015 Football League Cup Final, where they ultimately lost 2-0 to Chelsea. Following his promising performances, he signed a new five-year contract with the club on 6 July 2015.

2.2. Schalke 04

On 25 August 2016, Bentaleb joined Bundesliga side Schalke 04 on a season-long loan deal. He made his debut two days later in a 1-0 away loss against Frankfurt. His first start came the following weekend against Bayern Munich, after which he became a regular fixture in new manager Markus Weinzierl's starting eleven. Bentaleb expressed his desire to remain in Gelsenkirchen, stating that Schalke believed in him and appreciating the fans' unwavering support despite the team's rough start, which included their worst-ever Bundesliga beginning with five consecutive losses.

On 15 October, Bentaleb scored his first goal for Schalke, a powerful long-range strike that temporarily put them ahead in a 1-1 draw against Augsburg. This goal was notably the first in the Bundesliga to be successfully allowed after being reviewed by goal-line technology. In Schalke's next match, he scored twice against Mainz in a 3-0 victory, becoming the first Algerian player to achieve such a feat in Bundesliga history. Shortly after, reports emerged that Bentaleb had already signed a four-year contract to remain with Schalke, set to take effect once the permanent buying option in his loan deal was activated. On 24 February 2017, Tottenham Hotspur officially announced that an agreement had been reached for Bentaleb's permanent transfer to Schalke 04 at the end of the loan period.

2.3. Newcastle United (loan)

On 21 January 2020, Bentaleb moved to Newcastle United on a loan deal for the remainder of the 2019-20 Premier League season, with an option for the club to make the transfer permanent. He made his debut in a 0-0 draw against Oxford United in the fourth round of the FA Cup. At the end of the season, Bentaleb returned to Schalke after failing to make a significant impression during his loan spell.

2.4. Angers SCO

On 6 January 2022, Bentaleb signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with French club Angers, who compete in Ligue 1. He made a total of 48 appearances, scoring 5 goals for the club during his tenure.

2.5. Lille OSC

On 28 August 2023, Bentaleb completed a move to his hometown team, Lille OSC, signing a three-year deal. In his first season at the French club (2023-24), Bentaleb made 26 appearances as Lille finished fourth in the league.

3.1. France Youth National Team Activities

Bentaleb made his debut for the France U19 on 14 November 2012. He came on as a half-time substitute in a friendly match against Germany U19, which France lost 3-0. This was his sole appearance for the France U19 team.

3.2. Decision to Join Algeria National Team

Despite having represented France at the youth level, Bentaleb faced a decision between playing for his country of birth, France, or his parents' homeland, Algeria. The Algerian Football Federation actively pursued him, with the manager of the Algeria national team, Vahid Halilhodžić, expressing a strong desire for Bentaleb to join the squad. In a significant effort to secure his commitment, Mohamed Laoura and the president of the Algerian Football Association traveled to Paris, France, to meet with Bentaleb's parents and propose his participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In January 2014, Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood publicly stated that the English Football Association was also interested in Bentaleb potentially representing England. However, Bentaleb did not meet the eligibility requirements to play for England under the unique rules of the Home Nations' gentlemen's agreement, which necessitates a minimum of five years of education before the age of 18 within the territory of the relevant association, and does not grant eligibility through residency alone. Ultimately, on 15 February 2014, Bentaleb formally pledged his international future to Algeria, accepting the Algerian Football Association's offer. A few days later, he received his first call-up from Coach Halilhodžić for a friendly match against Slovenia.

3.3. Major Tournament Appearances and Performance

Nabil Bentaleb made his senior international debut for Algeria on 5 March 2014, playing the full match in a 2-0 victory over Slovenia. He scored his first goal for his country on 4 June 2014, during a friendly match against Romania at the Stade de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland.

In June 2014, Bentaleb was included in Algeria's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He started in midfield for the team's opening match of the tournament on 17 June, a 2-1 defeat to Belgium in Belo Horizonte. He also played the full ninety minutes for Les Fennecs (The Fennec Foxes) in their other two Group H matches: a 4-2 victory over South Korea and a 1-1 draw with Russia. However, he remained an unused substitute during the team's 2-1 defeat to Germany in the Round of 16.

On 15 December 2014, Bentaleb was named in Algeria's 23-man squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. He continued to be a key player for the national team, participating in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and was also named in Algeria's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in December 2023.

4.1. Club

4.2. International

Nabil Bentaleb's international statistics reflect his consistent presence and contributions to the Algerian national team.

Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bentaleb goal.

5.1. Club

• Football League Cup runner-up: 2014-15 (with Tottenham Hotspur)

5.2. Individual

• Bundesliga Goal of the Season: 2016-17 vs FC Augsburg (Matchday 7)