Omar El Hilali

Omar El Hilali is a Moroccan right-back born in Tanger on 12 September 2003. He developed at CF Santa Eulàlia before joining Espanyol’s academy, where he progressed through the youth ranks and reached the reserve team at 17. El Hilali made his Espanyol first-team debut against Albacete on 4 April 2021. His breakthrough came in the 2023–24 Segunda División campaign, when he became a regular starter, made 39 league appearances and supplied four assists as Espanyol secured promotion. In 2024–25, he continued with the senior side in La Liga and passed 100 official appearances for the club, while featuring 36 times and playing more than 3,000 minutes. Primarily a disciplined one-versus-one defender, Omar El Hilali is noted for positioning, tackling and duel work, and has also been used as a third centre-back. Internationally, he represents Morocco and helped the under-23 team win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and qualify for the 2024 Olympics.