Wahbi Khazri
Who was Wahbi Khazri?
Professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for the Tunisian national team. He has represented Tunisia in multiple Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup tournaments.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Wahbi Khazri (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Wahbi Khazri, born on 8 February 1991 in Ajaccio, France, became known as a professional footballer with impressive technical skills and creativity. He played as an attacking midfielder, left winger, and forward, making a name for himself in France's top leagues and having a notable period in the English Premier League. Khazri also played for Tunisia at the international level for nearly a decade.
He started his football journey at Sporting Club de Bastia in 2004, joining the youth academy at 13. Khazri made his professional debut for Bastia in 2009 and soon became a key player. He played a significant role in helping Bastia move up from the third tier to Ligue 2 in 2011 and then to Ligue 1 in 2012. His strong performances led to a transfer to Bordeaux in 2014, where he continued to grow as a skilled midfielder in French football.
In January 2016, Khazri joined Sunderland in the Premier League. His time there was marked by struggles for the club, which faced consecutive relegations. Despite the team's challenges, Khazri showed his talent at a high level. He spent the 2017–18 season on loan at Rennes, delivering an impressive performance with 11 goals in 29 league games. This caught the eye of Saint-Étienne, who signed him in July 2018. Khazri played a crucial role at Saint-Étienne before moving to Montpellier in 2022, which became the final chapter of his club career in France.
Internationally, Khazri initially played for France's youth teams before choosing to play for Tunisia, his family’s homeland. He earned his first senior cap for Tunisia in 2013 and made 74 appearances, scoring 25 goals. As team captain, he led by example in major tournaments. Khazri played in five Africa Cup of Nations and appeared in both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, making him one of the most experienced Tunisian players of his generation. His international career ended in 2022, concluding a significant period of representing Tunisia at the top level of football.
Before Fame
Wahbi Khazri grew up in Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, a Mediterranean island known for its unique football culture and for producing players who often move to France to pursue professional careers. Corsica's nearness to Bastia, one of its main clubs, made it a logical choice for young talent, and Khazri joined the Bastia academy in 2004 when he was 13 years old.
His early years matched a time when French football was increasingly including players of North African descent, both from new arrivals and from families who had settled in France. Khazri, like many players, managed the dual identity challenge, playing for France at the youth level before choosing to play for Tunisia at the senior international level. His rise through the Bastia youth system into professional football showed the typical path for players from French regions and overseas areas who wanted careers in the professional game.
Key Achievements
- Helped Bastia earn promotion to Ligue 1 in 2012 after back-to-back promotions from the third tier
- Scored 25 goals in 74 appearances as captain of the Tunisian national team between 2013 and 2022
- Represented Tunisia at five Africa Cup of Nations tournaments
- Featured for Tunisia at both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups
- Scored 11 goals in 29 Ligue 1 games during his 2017–18 loan spell at Rennes, one of the standout individual seasons of his career
Did You Know?
- 01.Khazri was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, the same city as Napoleon Bonaparte, and began his club career at the Corsican club Bastia at age thirteen.
- 02.During his loan spell at Rennes in the 2017–18 season, Khazri scored 11 goals in 29 Ligue 1 appearances, a return that directly led to his permanent transfer to Saint-Étienne.
- 03.Khazri appeared at five separate Africa Cup of Nations tournaments with Tunisia, making him one of the most experienced players in the history of the Tunisian national team.
- 04.He scored 25 international goals in 74 appearances for Tunisia, placing him among the country's most prolific scorers in the modern era.
- 05.Khazri represented two different nations at international level, appearing for France youth teams before switching allegiance to Tunisia for his senior career.