Ismaël Bennacer

2020–21 season Bennacer played 30 matches in all competitions, helping Milan to finish second in league table.

2021–22 season Already a regular on Stefano Pioli's side, Bennacer form generated much praise from Italian pundits, showing dominating performance against the likes of Inter and Napoli.

On 23 October 2021, as Milan was drawing 2–2 against Bologna, Bennacer scored the third goal in an eventual 4–2 win. On 19 March 2022, Bennacer scored a screamer from outside the box against Cagliari, helping his team to win 1–0 and stay on the top of league table. For the first time in a single Serie A season, Bennacer has scored more than once. Bennacer won the league title with AC Milan on 22 May 2022 with a 0–3 win at U.S. Sassuolo Calcio. It was his first trophy with the club.

2022–23 season On 12 January 2023, Bennacer extended his contract until 30 June 2027. Bennacer scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League on 12 April 2023, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win over Napoli in the first leg of the quarter finals. In May 2023, Bennacer sustained an injury to his right knee while in training and had a surgery, which forced him to miss the final five games of the season as well as ruled him out of the first half of the upcoming season.

2023–24 season On 2 December 2023, Bennacer made his return to the pitch in a 3–1 home win against Frosinone, coming on as a substitute at the 79th minute of the game.

Loan to Marseille On 3 February 2025, Bennacer was loaned to Ligue 1 club Marseille for the remainder of the season with an option to buy.

Loan to Dinamo Zagreb On 5 September 2025, he moved to Croatia and joined SuperSport HNL club Dinamo Zagreb, on an initial one-year loan with the option to make the move permanent at the end of the 2025–26 season.

Departure On 7 August 2026, Bennacer's contract with Milan was mutually terminated, making him a free agent ahead of the 2026–27 season.

International career Although he had previously represented France at youth level, on 31 July 2016, the Algerian Football Federation announced that Bennacer had opted to switch his international allegiance and represent Algeria internationally. He debuted for the Algeria national team in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier, a 6–0 win over Lesotho. Bennacer was called up on 11 January 2017 to Algeria's squad for the African Cup of Nations of 2017 to replace Saphir Taïder, who suffered an injury in training.

At the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Bennacer helped Algeria to their first title in 29 years, finishing the competition as the joint-top assist provider, alongside Franck Kessié, with three assists, including one for Baghdad Bounedjah's match-winning goal against Senegal in the final on 19 July. He was later voted both the "Best Young Player" and the "Best Player" of the tournament.

In December 2023, he was named in Algeria's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Style of play Known as a dynamic and versatile left-footed player, Bennacer is capable of playing in several midfield roles, and has been used as a deep-lying playmaker in a holding role in midfield, as an attacking midfielder, or as a central offensive-minded midfielder, known as the mezzala role in Italian football. His main characteristics are his speed, vision, intelligence, composure, dribbling skills, passing, and technique; he is also known for his ability to transition from defence into attack.

Personal life Bennacer was born in Arles, France, to a Moroccan father and an Algerian mother. Bennacer is a Muslim.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first.

+ List of international goals scored by Ismaël Bennacer No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 13 October 2020 Cars Jeans Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands 1–1 2–2 Friendly 2. 12 October 2021 Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey, Niger 3–0 4–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification 3. 10 June 2025 Strawberry Arena, Solna, Sweden 1–4 3–4 Friendly

Honours Empoli Supercoppa Italiana: 2024–25

Dinamo Zagreb

Individual Africa Cup of Nations Player of the Tournament: 2019