Ilias Akhomach[3] (Arabic: إلياس آخوماش; born 16 April 2004) is a professional footballer who plays a right winger for La Liga club Villarreal. Born in Spain, he plays for the Morocco national team.

Ilias Akhomach
Personal information
Birth name Ilias Akhomach Chakkour[a]
Date of birth (2004-04-16) 16 April 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth Els Hostalets de Pierola, Spain
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1][2]
Position(s) Right winger
Team information
Current team
Villarreal
Number 11
Youth career
2007–2013 Barcelona
2013–2017 Gimnàstic Manresa
2017–2020 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2023 Barcelona B 42 (4)
2021 Barcelona 2 (0)
2023–2024 Villarreal B 2 (0)
2023– Villarreal 31 (2)
International career
2018 Morocco U15
2018–2019 Spain U15
2019–2020 Spain U16 7 (0)
2021–2022 Spain U18 8 (1)
2022–2023 Spain U19 15 (4)
2023 Spain U21 3 (1)
2023– Morocco U23 7 (1)
2024– Morocco 5 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Morocco
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:35, 5 June 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:42, 12 October 2024 (UTC)

Club career

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Barcelona

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Born in Els Hostalets de Pierola, Barcelona, Catalonia, Akhomach made his debut for FC Barcelona B on 7 November 2020, starting in a 1–0 away defeat to FC Andorra in Segunda División B. He was replaced by Nils Mortimer in the 63rd minute.[4]

On 20 November 2021, he was selected in the first team starting line-up, for Xavi's first game as a FC Barcelona manager, a La Liga derby against RCD Espanyol.[5][6][7] In a tense contest at the Camp Nou following the departure of Ronald Koeman, he helped his team to a 1–0 win, although he was replaced early in the second half to make way for his fellow Barcelona B winger Abde Ezzalzouli.[8][9]

On 20 May 2023, it was announced that Akhomach would not renew his contract with Barça and would become a free agent when his contract expired on 30 June 2023.[10]

Villarreal

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On 3 July 2023, Akhomach signed a four-year contract with Villarreal CF, being initially assigned to the reserves in Segunda División.[11] On 14 December, he netted his first goal in a 3–2 away win over Stade Rennais in the Europa League.[12] On 27 January 2024, he scored his first La Liga goal in a 5–3 away victory over his former club Barcelona.[13]

International career

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Born in Spain, Akhomach is of Moroccan descent. He is an international for Spain's youth national teams.[14] He also played with Morocco U15 national team and won the North African U15 championship in 2018.[15]

Akhomach made the switch to Morocco U23 national team in November 2023.[16] He debuted in a friendly 3–0 loss to Denmark U21 on 16 November 2023.[17]

Akhomach made his debut for the senior Morocco national team on 22 March 2024 in a friendly against Angola.[18]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 25 May 2024[19]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2020–21 Segunda División B 4 0 4 0
2021–22 Primera División RFEF 15 3 15 3
2022–23 Primera Federación 23 1 23 1
Total 42 4 42 4
Barcelona 2021–22 La Liga 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 0
Villarreal B 2023–24 Segunda División 2 0 2 0
Villarreal 2023–24 La Liga 31 2 3 1 5[b] 1 39 4
Career total 77 6 4 1 5 1 86 8
  1. ^ In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Akhomach and the second or maternal family name is Chakkour.
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

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Barcelona U19

Morocco U23

References

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  1. ^ "AKHOMACH Ilias".
  2. ^ "Ilias Akhomach". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  3. ^ "AFCON 2023 - Provisional squads list" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. p. 26.
  4. ^ "Olot 2–1 Barça B: Beaten on the road". FC Barcelona. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Barcelona 1-0 Espanyol – Goals and highlights – LaLiga 21/22". Marca. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  6. ^ Panero, Daniel (19 November 2021). "Ilias Akhomach, la sorpresa de Xavi en el once en el derbi". El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  7. ^ Birlanga, Javier (20 November 2021). "Quién es Ilias Akhomach la sorpresa de Xavito en su primer once como técnico del Barcelona". Goal (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  8. ^ Martínez, Juan Bautista (20 November 2021). "El Barça respira al límite ante el Espanyol". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  9. ^ Aldunate, Ramiro (20 November 2021). "VAR and the post come to Barcelona's rescue on Xavi's debut". Marca. Joe Ellis, translator. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  10. ^ Quiroz, Andrés (20 May 2023). "Ilias Akhomach will not renew with Barça and hopes to resolve his future in June". FC Barcelona Notices. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  11. ^ "¡Ilias Akhomach ya es groguet!" [Ilias Akhomach already is groguet!] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Rennes 2–3 Villarreal". BBC Sport. 14 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Barcelona 3–5 Villarreal". BBC Sport. 27 January 2024.
  14. ^ "FC Barcelone : Surnommé le "Messi marocain", Ilias Akhomach passe pro". 8 July 2020.
  15. ^ "Tournoi de l'UNAF −15: Le Maroc remporte l'édition 2018". Maroc Diplomatique (in French). 8 November 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  16. ^ Sara, Zouiten (10 November 2023). "Ilias Akhomach Chooses Morocco Over Spain, Joins Atlas Lions' U-23 Squad". Morocco World News.
  17. ^ "Maroc : un joueur de l'OM et un ex-titi du PSG optent pour les U23 !". www.afrik-foot.com. 10 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Morocco v Angola game report". ESPN. 22 March 2024.
  19. ^ Ilias Akhomach at Soccerway. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Marc Casadó Trophies". FotMob.
  21. ^ "Egypt U23 vs Morocco U23: Olympics". BBC Sport. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
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