Youssef En-Nesyri, 25, gave Morocco the lead against Portugal in their quarterfinal match at the cusp of halftime. Morocco started the match as underdogs, but proved to be a tough nut to crack for the 2016 Euro champions, who lost the match 1-0 as their most successful scorer, captain Cristiano Ronaldo, warmed the bench.
With the win, Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-final of a FIFA World Cup. As they face defending champions France in the semi-final clash, Al-Nesyri and Morocco will hope to keep their miraculous winning run continuing.
Who is Youssef En-Nesyri?
Youssef En-Nesyri was born on June 1, 1997 in the city of Fez in Morocco. His career as a youth player began with the Mohammed VI Football Academy, after which he was signed for the youth side of Spanish club Malaga for €125,000.
The forward played 29 matches for Malaga B, scoring 16 goals in the process, before being promoted to the club’s senior team. He played for them between the time period of 2016–2018.
After Malaga, the Moroccan forward moved on to Leganes, where he played 49 matches and scored 13 goals in the process. During his stint at Leganes, En-Nesyri scored a hattrick against Real Betis in a La Liga match in 2019, becoming the first player from the club to achieve said feat.
En-Nesyri currently plays as a striker for Sevilla. He has spent the entirety of his senior career in various La Liga clubs. His penchant for scoring hattricks continued during his ongoing stint at Sevilla. He netted three goals each against Real Sociedad and Cadiz in 2019.
En-Nesyri scored his first Champions League goals on November 4, 2020, against FC Krasnodar, when he netted in a brace to hand his side the victory.
He was called up for the Moroccan national side on August 22, 2016. En-Nesyri represented his country in the 2017, 2019, and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
