Nabil Bentaleb is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille and represents the Algeria national team.
He began his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur, where he made his debut in December 2013.
Bentaleb has been a key player for the Algeria men's national football team since 2014.
Biography
Early Life
Nabil Bentaleb was born in Lille, France, to Algerian parents from Mostaganem. His football journey began at a young age when he joined the local club Lille's academy. However, after being released at the age of 15, he sought opportunities abroad, playing for Mouscron in Belgium before trialing with Birmingham City. Eventually, he found his way to Tottenham Hotspur's academy in January 2012, where he quickly made a name for himself.
Career
Bentaleb's professional debut came on December 22, 2013, when he was included in Tottenham Hotspur's squad for a Premier League match against Southampton, where he made an immediate impact. His first start was in the North London derby against Arsenal in the FA Cup, and he scored his first goal for Spurs in December 2014 during the Football League Cup. In March 2015, he played in the Football League Cup Final against Chelsea. After a successful stint at Tottenham, Bentaleb joined Bundesliga side Schalke 04 on loan in August 2016.
International Career
Despite representing France at the under-19 level, Bentaleb chose to represent Algeria, making his debut for the national team in March 2014. He was part of Algeria's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he played in all three group stage matches. His commitment to Algeria was solidified when he scored his first international goal against Romania in June 2014.
Legacy
Bentaleb's career has been marked by significant achievements, including being named the Bundesliga Goal of the Season for 2016-17. He has also contributed to his teams' successes, including a runner-up finish in the Football League Cup with Tottenham Hotspur in 2015.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Gallery
Career & Clubs
Early career
Born in Lille to Algerian parents from Mostaganem, Bentaleb started his career at the academy of local side, Lille. However, he was released from the academy at the age of 15 and then went to Belgium to play for Mouscron. Bentaleb then went on trial with Birmingham City before eventually signing into the academy of Tottenham Hotspur in January 2012. During the 2012–13 season, Bentaleb broke into the under-21 side at Tottenham and scored four goals in fourteen matches, including the winning goal against Arsenal's Academy. His performance that season earned him a new four-year contract at Tottenham Hotspur until 2018.
Tottenham Hotspur
On 22 December 2013, Bentaleb was selected into the 18-man first-team squad for Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League match against Southampton. He made his professional debut in that match when he came on as a substitute in the 50th minute for Mousa Dembélé, Tottenham won the match 3–2. His first start for Spurs came in the North London derby against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup on 4 January. Bentaleb scored his first goal for the club on 17 December 2014 in the fifth round of the Football League Cup against Newcastle United. On 1 March 2015, Bentaleb started for Tottenham in the 2015 Football League Cup Final, a match they lost 2–0 to Chelsea. On 6 July, he signed a new five-year contract.
Schalke 04
On 25 August 2016, Bentaleb joined Bundesliga side Schalke 04 on a season-long loan deal.…
Club
As of match played 13 September 2026
International
As of match played 2 July 2026
Scores and results list Algeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bentaleb goal.
On 14 November 2012, Bentaleb made his debut for France U19 in a friendly match, coming on as a half-time substitute in a 3–0 loss to Germany U19. Despite having represented France, he was courted by the Algerian Football Federation, and accepted its offer. In January 2014, Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood suggested that the English Football Association were also interested. However, Bentaleb would not meet the requirements to play for England under the unique rules set out in the Home Nations agreement. The Home Nations agreement requires that players engage in a minimum of five years of education before the age of 18 within the territory of the relevant association and does not offer national team eligibility through residency. On 15 February 2014, Bentaleb pledged his international future to Algeria. A few days later, he was called up by Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodžić for a friendly match against Slovenia. He made his debut on 5 March, playing the full game in a 2–0 win over Slovenia. He scored his first goal for his country against Romania on 4 June 2014 at the Stade de Genève in Switzerland. In June 2014, Bentaleb was named in Algeria's 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in midfield for the team's opening match of the tournament – a 2–1 defeat by Belgium in Belo Horizonte on 17 June. He also played the full ninety minutes for Les Fennecs in their two other Group H matches; a 4–2 victory over South Korea and a 1–1 draw with Russia. However, he…
- Club
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C. (2013–)
- Club
- Algeria men's national football team (2014–)
- Club
- France national under-19 association football team (2012–2012)
- League
- Bundesliga
- League
- Premier League
- National team
- Algeria
Legacy
Tottenham Hotspur
Football League Cup runner-up: 2014–15 Individual
Bundesliga Goal of the Season: 2016–17 vs FC Augsburg on Matchday 7
Clubs
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C.2013current
- Algeria men's national football team2014current
- France national under-19 association football team2012–2012
Played together with
Aaron LennonTottenham Hotspur F.C. · 2005–2015Abdelhamid El KaoutariFrance national under-19 association football team · 2008–2009
Abdou DialloFrance national under-19 association football team · 2014–2015Abdoulaye DialloFrance national under-19 association football team · 2009–2010
Abdoulaye DialloFrance national under-19 association football team · 2010–2011
Abdoulaye DialloFrance national under-19 association football team · 2011–2013
Abdoulaye DoucouréFrance national under-19 association football team · 2011–2012
Abou DiabyFrance national under-19 association football team · 2004–2005
Adam SmithTottenham Hotspur F.C. · 2008–2014
Adel TaarabtFrance national under-19 association football team · 2008–2008
Adel TaarabtTottenham Hotspur F.C. · 2007–2009
Adel TaarabtTottenham Hotspur F.C. · 2007–2007
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Nabil Bentaleb is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille. Born in France, he plays for the Algeria national team.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
…






