Ismaël Bennacer

Ismaël Bennacer is an Algerian midfielder born in Arles, France, on 1 December 1997. He developed at AC Arles before moving to Arsenal in 2015, where he made one League Cup appearance. A loan spell at Tours preceded his 2017 move to Empoli, where Bennacer helped win the 2017–18 Serie B title and established himself in Italian football. After Empoli’s return to Serie A, he joined AC Milan in 2019. Bennacer became known for carrying the ball through pressure, progressing possession with short passing and competing aggressively for recoveries from midfield. Internationally, he chose Algeria and played a central role in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations triumph, earning the tournament’s Player of the Tournament award. At Milan, Bennacer was part of the team that won the 2021–22 Serie A title, adding a major club honour to a career built on technical control and defensive intensity.