Younès Belhanda

Montpellier

While in Montpellier's youth academy, Belhanda was converted into a defensive midfielder. He spent five years in the club's academy developing alongside fellow youth teammates Benjamin Stambouli, Abdelhamid El Kaoutari, and Rémy Cabella. Towards the end of the 2007–08 season, Belhanda was promoted to the club's reserve team, which was playing in the Championnat de France amateur (CFA), the fourth level of French football. In the ensuing season, he simultaneously played on the reserve team and with the club's under-19 team in the Coupe Gambardella, the national youth cup competition in France. In the latter competition, Montpellier won the title, capturing its second Gambardella cup. Belhanda appeared in all six matches the team contested. In the final, he played the entire match as Montpellier defeated Nantes 2–0.

2009–10 season

As a result of the under-19 team's cup success, several of the members of the squad were awarded professional contracts. Belhanda was among them and, on 27 July 2009, agreed to a three-year deal. He was, subsequently, promoted to the senior team by new incoming manager René Girard and assigned the number 29 shirt. Despite being brought up under a defensive mentality, Girard preferred to utilize Belhanda as an attacker by placing him on the left side of the team's 4–2–3–1 formation. Girard gave his reasons for converting Belhanda stating "his desire to get on the ball combined with excellent technique means he can play…

In May 2018, Belhanda was named in Morocco's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Belhanda started in all three matches as Morocco were eliminated in the group stage. He was excluded from manager Walid Regragui’s 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Club

As of match played 19 December 2023

International

As of match played 27 September 2022.

Scores and results list Morocco's goal tally first.

Belhanda was born in Avignon, a commune in southeastern France, and was raised in nearby Aramon. He is of Moroccan descent (from Taza) and has five other siblings. Belhanda began his football career playing for hometown club Racing Club Aramon. He spent one year at the club before joining MJC Avignon, a local cultural center based in his birthplace. While at the club, Belhanda was utilized as a libero and mentored by trainer Jean-Christophe Gleyze. The player admitted that Gleyze played a huge part in determining his future, stating: "he is more than a coach. Since my father worked and I lived in the Gard, it was him who took me to training and my home for three years. Without him and MJC Avignon, I would never have been spotted by other clubs". At the age of 13, Belhanda was scouted by several professional clubs, most notably Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, and Saint-Étienne. He ultimately decided to join Saint-Étienne, but changed his mind after discussing the move with his parents, who recommended that he join Montpellier in order to remain close to home.