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The Best Arab Footballers of All Time
From Rabah Madjer’s back-heel in the 1987 European Cup final to Mohamed Salah’s Premier League Golden Boots, Arab players have made real history. Here is our top 10, up to October 2026.
WhoBaller a footballer guessing game for iPhoneHow it works| # | Player | Nation | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | 4 Premier League Golden Boots · 2019 Champions League |
| 2 | Riyad Mahrez | Algeria | 5 Premier League titles · 2019 AFCON |
| 3 | Achraf Hakimi | Morocco | 2025 Champions League · 2025 African Player of the Year |
| 4 | Rabah Madjer | Algeria | 1987 European Cup with Porto |
| 5 | Mustapha Hadji | Morocco | 1998 African Player of the Year |
| 6 | Mohamed Aboutrika | Egypt | 2006 and 2008 AFCON |
| 7 | Majed Abdullah | Saudi Arabia | 1984 and 1988 Asian Cups |
| 8 | Lakhdar Belloumi | Algeria | 1981 African Footballer of the Year |
| 9 | Yassine Bounou | Morocco | 2020 and 2023 Europa Leagues |
| 10 | Sami Al-Jaber | Saudi Arabia | Four World Cups (1994–2006) |
Mohamed Salah scored 257 goals in 442 games for Liverpool before joining Trabzonspor in August 2026. Riyad Mahrez won the league with Leicester City and four more with Manchester City, and in October 2026 he joined Qatar’s Al-Shamal as a free agent. Achraf Hakimi became the first Moroccan African Player of the Year since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.
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Riyad Mahrez
