Mehdi Carcela-González

Standard Liège

Carcela is a product of the Standard Liège academy, having joined the club at age five. He made his professional debut at nineteen, when he came on as a substitute for Igor de Camargo in the 81st minute. Standard won 2–0 against Kortrijk on 13 September 2008. He later made his European debut in the last game of the group stage of the UEFA Cup against Stuttgart on 18 December 2008, coming on as a substitute for Wilfried Dalmat in the 65th minute of a 3–0 away defeat. In his first season, the club won the league and Belgian Super Cup, with him making only twelve appearances. Carcela began the 2009–10 season as a substitute, as Standard won the Belgian Super Cup for the second time running. He then scored his first goal for the club and made an assist, in a 5–1 win over Roeselare on 15 August. Four weeks later, on 13 September, he scored twice, as the team beat Mechelen 3–0. He then scored in the next match six days later, in a 3–1 win over Lokeren. On 24 November he was sent off in the Champions League group match at Arsenal after he head-butted Cesc Fàbregas in the waning moments of the 2–0 defeat at Emirates Stadium. As a result, Carcela missed two matches in the next European games. This season proved a breakthrough season for Carcela, as he scored five goals in 44 appearances in all competitions.

In the 2010–11 season, Carcela's performances were observed by Zinedine Zidane from Real Madrid. He made an impressive start to the season when he scored…

Carcela initially chose to represent his country of birth, Belgium, and even played two friendlies with the Red Devils, but in December 2010 he changed his mind and decided to represent Morocco. In February 2011, Carcela made his debut with the Atlas Lions of Morocco against Niger in a 3–0 win for his new side, coming on as a late substitute and winning a penalty. After making his debut, he spoke out on his decision to play for Morocco, saying that he is proud to represent the national team and that it felt "like a childhood dream". Carcela made the squad for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, playing two matches in a group stage exit. On 11 October 2016, Carcela scored his first goal for Morocco in a 4–0 friendly victory against Canada at the Stade de Marrakech. Manager Hervé Renard named Carcela in his squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. He played one match, the opening 1–0 loss to the DR Congo, in a quarter-final finish. In May 2018 he was named in Morocco's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Club

As of 22 October 2020

International

Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Carcela goal.

Carcela was born in Liège, Belgium, to a Spanish father and Moroccan mother. He remains in touch with his hometown. His cousin Joachim Carcela is also a professional footballer.