Ibrahim Maza, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder at Bayer Leverkusen, is known in Algeria as “Mazadona”, a nod to Argentine football legend Diego Maradona. He has recently received his first Ballon d’Or nomination in the Youth Talent of the Year category.
Maza is among 10 nominees for the award given by French magazine France Football, alongside new Manchester City star and Moroccan international Ayoub Bouaddi.
Early Life and Background
According to a report on the official Ballon d’Or website, Maza was born in Berlin on November 24, 2005, to an Algerian father who works as a doctor and a Vietnamese mother who is a nursery manager. His parents met while studying in Cologne.
Maza began his career at the Reinickendorfer Füchse academy before moving to Hertha Berlin in 2018 at the age of 12, where he joined a school for young athletes.
Training Regimen and Discipline
Maza trained from 8 to 10 a.m., then returned for sessions from 5:30 to 8 p.m., while his father added extra training after matches in which he performed poorly. Reflecting on that period, Maza said: “From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., there is no time for messing around, and by the end of the day you are exhausted.” He believes this routine helped him develop calmness and discipline.
Maza spent seven seasons at Hertha Berlin before breaking into the first team professionally in 2023 at the age of 17, scoring 9 goals in 51 matches.
Rise to the Global Stage
The “Desert Warrior” moved to Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 and, as of September 2026, has scored 5 goals in 45 matches. One of his standout moments was assisting Patrik Schick during a 2-0 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League.
Leverkusen rejected an offer from Atlético Madrid to sign Maza during the last summer transfer window, while his coach Kasper Hjulmand praised his potential, saying: “An exceptional player with a bright future. An exceptional person who is asked for a lot and responds: thank you, then works every day and learns quickly.”
Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, also praised Maza’s constant desire to develop and improve.
Cultural Roots and Identity
Despite being born and raised in Germany alongside his two siblings, Maza maintained a connection to his parents’ roots, spending summers in the outskirts of Algeria and winters in Vietnam. He speaks primarily German, Vietnamese with his mother, and Arabic with his father.
Change of Sporting Nationality
Maza represented Germany’s youth teams between 2022 and 2024 before changing his sporting nationality at the end of 2024 to represent Algeria. He has played 21 matches for the Algerian national team, scoring two goals, both of which came in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
As a child, Maza’s dream was to play alongside his compatriot Riyad Mahrez, the former Manchester City star. He said: “I used to watch him on TV and dream of playing with him,” a dream that has now come true.
Maza also participated in the 2026 World Cup, playing four matches, and said of the experience: “Just participating is an unforgettable experience.”
After his nomination for the Youth Talent award, Maza tries to maintain his balance according to what he learned from his parents, stating: “Sometimes the spotlight is useful and motivating, but I handle it with my feet on the ground.”