Neil El Aynaoui

Neil Yoni El Aynaoui (; born 2 July 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club RB Leipzig, on loan from club Roma. Born in France, he represents the Morocco national team.

Club career

Nancy El Aynaoui joined the youth academy of Nancy when he was 18, and signed his first professional contract with the club on 3 June 2021. He made his professional debut with Nancy in a 4–0 Ligue 2 loss to Toulouse on 31 July 2021.

Lens

On 29 June 2023, El Aynaoui signed for Ligue 1 club Lens on a four-year contract. He scored his first goal on 28 October 2023 against FC Nantes.

Roma On 20 July 2025, El Aynaoui moved to Roma in Italy on a five-year contract. He made his debut for the club against Bologna on matchday 1 of the Serie A, by coming off the bench in the 60th minute in place of El Shaarawy.

He scored his first goal for Roma in a Europa League match against Midtjylland on 27 November 2025.

Loan to RB Leipzig On 1 September 2026, El Aynaoui joined Bundesliga side RB Leipzig on loan with an option to buy.

International career Born in France, El Aynaoui holds French and Moroccan nationalities. He was called up to the Morocco U23s for a set of friendlies in September 2023.

On 11 December 2025, El Aynaoui was called up to the Morocco squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. In the final, he iconically got injured in his eye, where they treated him with a bandage and he kept playing to contribute and to participate in the Final.

On 26 May 2026, El Aynaoui was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life El Aynaoui is the son of the Moroccan retired tennis player Younes El Aynaoui with Anne-Sophie Rocher, a Frenchwoman.

Career statistics Club

International

Morocco score listed first, score column indicates score after each El Aynaoui goal. + List of international goals scored by Neil El Aynaoui No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 27 March 2026 Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain 1–1 1–1 Friendly 2 31 March 2026 Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France 2–0 2–1 Friendly

Honours Morocco Africa Cup of Nations: 2025