Maxime Lestienne

Mouscron

Lestienne came up through the youth ranks at Royal Excelsior Mouscron. At the time of his debut in the senior squad on 20 December 2008, Mouscron was competing in the Belgian First Division. Lestienne came on as a substitute for Asanda Sishuba in the 80th minute of a 5–1 home victory against Club Brugge.

Club Brugge

After the bankruptcy of Mouscron in 2009, Lestienne became available on a free transfer. Despite interest from English side Everton and Dutch side PSV, Lestienne eventually signed a contract with Club Brugge on 6 January 2010. He helped his club to a 3–3 draw to Sint-Truidense after scoring and assisting in a league match on 7 August 2011. Lestienne scored a brace in a league match against Beerschot in a 5–1 thrashing win on 5 February 2012. Lestienne scored his first hat-trick for the club in the Bruges derby on 23 September 2012 against Cercle Brugge. On 17 November 2012, Lestienne scored one and assisted four times in a 2–6 away win against Beveren. On 28 September 2013, he scored the only goal in the match securing a 3 points for his team against RAEC Mons. After four seasons with Club Brugge making a total of 39 goals and 35 assists in 157 appearances across all competition, Lestienne left the club.

Al-Arabi

On 31 August 2014, Lestienne moved overseas to joined Qatari side, Al-Arabi on a permanent transfer.

Loan to Genoa

However, Lestienne was loaned out to Serie A club Genoa until the end of the 2014–15…

Lestienne has appeared seven times for the Belgium U21 team and scored once, when he converted a penalty in the 53rd minute in a 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification Group 9 game against Cyprus U21 won by Belgium 2–0. Lestienne was called up to the senior Belgium national team for the friendly against the United States in May 2013, but did not play. He wore the number 17 jersey on the match-day squad. He was called up again to the squad in November 2019 to play against Russia and Cyprus for Belgium last two UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match which he didn't make any appearances.

Lestienne is a technically gifted winger who is primarily deployed on either flank, although he is most effective when starting on the right wing and cutting inside onto his stronger left foot. He is known for his direct attacking approach, frequently taking on defenders in one-on-one situations and using quick acceleration and close ball control to beat his marker. Lestienne employed his signature move by cutting inside on his stronger left foot to move to a more central attacking position, and used his agility and dribbling skills to take on defenders until he found the space to make an attempt on goal or become creative to cross the ball to the far post for his teammate to tap in for the goal. A creative wide player, Lestienne contributes both goals and assists, combining dribbling with an eye for the final pass. His agility and balance allow him to operate effectively in tight spaces, while his movement into half-spaces increases his threat in the attacking third. Although not a traditional striker, he regularly arrives in scoring positions from wide areas and is capable of finishing from narrow angles, particularly with curling shots. Tactically versatile, Lestienne can function as a traditional winger or as an inverted winger in systems such as 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, adapting his role depending on team needs. He is also a set-piece taker, providing quality deliveries from corners and free kicks. In addition to his attacking output, he contributes defensively by pressing…

Club

As of match played 21 December 2025