Ismaël Bennacer is Olympian

Born in the heart of the Bouches-du-Rhône region in the town of Arles, Ismaël Bennacer began his professional career with his training club AC Arles-Avignon in January 2015. He was quickly spotted by scouts at London club Arsenal - a club he joined in the summer of 2015 - who spotted his ability to repeat efforts and his fighting spirit. A hard-working midfielder who is also adept with his left foot, the Provençal decided to join Tours FC on loan in the winter of 2017.

After a successful spell with Les Tourangeaux, Ismaël Bennacer decided to move to Empoli FC in Italy. In the Azzurri shirt, the Algerian learned Italian tactical rigour and developed his footballing range, making him a true all-round midfielder, as useful in recovery as he was going forward. After two successful seasons and winning a Serie B title, he caught the eye of AC Milan, who decided to invest in the 21-year-old midfielder and recruit him in the summer of 2019.

At the San Siro, the Arles native took his career to a new level, discovering the joys of playing in European Cups, where he made over 30 appearances and gained experience of top-level matches, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2022/23 campaign. During his five-and-a-half seasons with Roma, the tireless midfielder made 178 appearances, winning a Scudetto and a Supercoppa.

A true stalwart of the Fennecs with 50 caps to his name, this OM fan since his childhood also has an impressive record with the Algerian national team, winning the African Cup of Nations in 2019 and even being named best player of the competition at the tender age of 21.

Welcome to OM Ismaël!