* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:16, 10 January 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 29 June 2024
Stephan Kareem El Shaarawy (Arabic:ستيفان كريم الشعراوي; born 27 October 1992) is an Italian professionalfootballer who plays as aleft winger forSerie A clubRoma and theItaly national team. He is nicknamedIl Faraone (The Pharaoh), as his father is Egyptian.
El Shaarawy began his career atGenoa, and was signed byMilan in 2011 after a successful loan atPadova. Frequently regarded as one of the most promising youngsters of his generation, El Shaarawy had his breakthrough in the first half of the2012–13 season. Following several long periods out of action due to injuries, he spent the 2015–16 season on loan withMonaco and subsequently Roma, signing permanently for the latter club at the end of the season. In 2019, he transferred to Chinese clubShanghai Greenland Shenhua, before making a return to Roma eighteen months later.
El Shaarawy started his youth career withGenoa at the age of fourteen.[5]
On 21 December 2008, when he was sixteen years old, El Shaarawy made his first team debut, playing ten minutes in aSerie A away match againstChievo; he is currently the eighthyoungest player in the history of Serie A to have made his debut in the Italian top division.[6] It was his only appearance of the season despite making the bench several times.
Loan to Padova
In June 2010, El Shaarawy wasloaned out toPadova for the2010–11 Serie B season.[7] He quickly emerged as a key element for the team, leading the Venetian club to the promotion play-off finals, where they then lost toNovara. For his performances with Padova, El Shaarawy would be awarded the 2011Serie B Footballer of the Year.[8]
AC Milan
2011–12: Progression to the first team
On 25 June 2011, El Shaarawy signed for Serie A giantsMilan for a €20 million transfer fee (€10 million plusAlexander Merkel).[9][10][11] He made his debut for the club on 18 September 2011 at theStadio San Paolo, in a 3–1 league loss toNapoli.[12] Three days later, after coming on as asubstitute for the injuredAlexandre Pato, he scored his first goal for Milan, earning his side a 1–1 draw at home againstUdinese.[13]
In his first six months at Milan, El Shaarawy made a total of seven appearances, leading to reports in the media that he may be loaned out for more playing time to help his progression. However a decision was then made between vice-presidentAdriano Galliani, coachMassimiliano Allegri and himself to stay at the club for the near future. It was then that El Shaarawy's performances for Milan began to improve, leading him to become one of the most highly rated youngsters in Italy. On 8 February 2012, El Shaarawy scored in a 1–2 loss againstJuventus in the first leg of Milan'sCoppa Italia semi-final.[14] Three days later, he scored a crucial winner against Udinese.[15]
2012–13: Breakthrough season
El Shaarawy (left) andRobinho preparing to kick off forAC Milan in 2012
On 25 July 2012, El Shaarawy signed a new five-year contract with Milan.[16][17] On 3 October 2012, he scored his firstUEFA Champions League goal againstZenit Saint Petersburg, becoming Milan's youngest ever goalscorer in the competition at the age of 19 years and 342 days.[18][19] He then got two goals against Napoli on 18 November to help Milan equalise after being 2–0 down and save them from losing an important game.[20] El Shaarawy continued his fine form by scoring another brace in a 3–1 away win againstCatania two weeks later.[21] He added a further goal in a 4–2 win atTorino on 9 December, and scored again in a 4–1 victory againstPescara in the following match, earning Milan a fourth consecutive win to help them rise up in the table.[22][23] He finished the first half of the season asSerie A's top scorer with fourteen goals, and also as Milan's top scorer in all competitions with sixteen.[24]
In 2012, El Shaarawy was named one of the top players born after 1991 byDon Balón,[25] and was listed 52nd inThe Guardian's list of the best footballers in the world.[26] He also won the league'sBest Young Revelation award, given to the most promising youngster in Serie A.[27]
On 28 February 2013, El Shaarawy ended speculation regarding his future by extending his contract for a further season, running until June 2018.[28] In the second half of the 2012–13 campaign, he struggled to find his best form, but Milan CEO Adriano Galliani defended El Shaarawy by stating that his goals kept Milan's hopes of a top three finish in the league alive.[29]
2013–15: Injury-hit campaigns
El Shaarawy playing for AC Milan in 2014
After weeks of speculation surrounding his future, Milan officially announced on 2 July 2013 that El Shaarawy would not leave the club in the summertransfer window.[30] On 20 August, he scored his first competitive club goal since February 2013 againstPSV Eindhoven in Milan'sChampions League play-off first leg draw.[31] The first half of the season was marred by injuries as El Shaarawy made only seven appearances in all competitions for Milan.[32] On 28 December, after a surgery on his right foot failed to heal effectively, he was ruled out for a further ten weeks.[33] El Shaarawy made his return to the side on 11 May 2014, in a 1–2 league loss againstAtalanta.[34]
In Milan's first league match of the2014–15 season againstLazio, El Shaarawy assistedKeisuke Honda's goal in the seventh minute. On 8 November 2014, he scored his first Serie A goal in 622 days againstSampdoria with a curling strike from outside the box, and fell to the floor in tears.[35][36] After a long absence following another injury, El Shaarawy scored a double in Milan's 3–0 home victory overTorino on 24 May 2015.[37] He made just 28 appearances in all competitions during the last two campaigns.[38]
Loan to Monaco
On 13 July 2015, El Shaarawy joinedLigue 1 clubMonaco on a season-long loan with an option to buy.[39] He made his debut two weeks later, replacingAnthony Martial for the final seven minutes of a 3–1 away win overYoung Boys in theChampions League third qualifying round.[40] In the second leg at theStade Louis II, his first start, he scored his first Monaco goal in a 4–0 win.[41] Before the start of the January transfer window, El Shaarawy was frozen out of the squad, as he had already played 24 games in all official competitions, one game short from activating the conditional obligation to buy him outright.[42]
Roma
On 26 January 2016, El Shaarawy joinedRoma on a loan deal until 30 June 2016, for a fee of €1.4 million. The agreement included an option to make the deal permanent, for a fee of €13 million, before the beginning of the 2016–17 season.[43] Four days later, on his Roma debut, he scored a half scorpion flicked back heel goal in the 48th minute of a 3–1 home win overFrosinone;[44] he then scored in the following match againstSassuolo three days later to seal a 2–0 away victory.[45] In Roma's final match of the season on 14 May, El Shaarawy scored against his parent club Milan as his side won 3–1 at theSan Siro and finished third in the league.[46]
On 21 June 2016, Roma opted to buy out El Shaarawy's loan from Milan for the €13 million, keeping him at the club until 2020.[47] On 20 May 2017, he scored twice against Chievo, helping Roma to a 5–3 victory to continue his three-game scoring streak.[48] In Roma's 3–0Champions League group stage win overChelsea on 31 October 2017, El Shaarawy bagged two first half goals, including one within the first 40 seconds of the match from 25 yards out.[49]
On 30 January 2021, El Shaarawy rejoined Roma on a free transfer.[55] He scored his first goal since his return to the club 677 days after his last, netting Roma's second in their 3–0Europa League round of 16 win overShakhtar Donetsk on 11 March.[56]
On 10 November 2024, El Shaarawy scored his first two goals of the2024–25 Serie A season in a 3–2 home defeat againstBologna.[57]
International career
El Shaarawy was qualified to play for theEgypt national football team through his father, but was denied by coachHassan Shehata stating that "not every Egyptian playing for a foreign league qualifies to play for the national side".[58] This comment however is contradicted by El Shaarawy himself, as he has stated that he preferred to play for the Italian team.[59] As his father also possessed the nationality from previously living there, El Shaarawy was also eligible to play forVenezuela.[60][61]
On 15 August 2012, El Shaarawy made his senior debut forItaly, starting in a 1–2friendly defeat againstEngland.[64][65] He scored his first goal for Italy in his third appearance, getting the opener in a 1–2 friendly loss toFrance on 14 November 2012.[66][67]
El Shaarawy was not included in Italy's2014 FIFA World Cup squad, after missing most of the2013–14 club season through injury.[70]
On 10 October 2015, El Shaarawy ended a three-year goal drought, scoring the winner in Italy's 3–1 away victory overAzerbaijan in aUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match; this was his first international goal since November 2012, and the win guaranteed Italy a place atthe final tournament.[71] On 31 May 2016, he was named toAntonio Conte's 23-man Italy squad for the upcoming championship inFrance.[72] He made his only appearance at Euro 2016 on 22 June, coming off the bench in Italy's finalgroup match against theRepublic of Ireland.[73]
On 15 October 2019, El Shaarawy returned to the national team for the first time since Italy's2018 FIFA World Cup playoff defeat toSweden two years earlier, being substituted on and scoring the fourth goal in a 5–0Euro 2020 qualifying away win overLiechtenstein.[74] He got a brace in Italy's 6–0 friendly victory againstMoldova on 7 October 2020.[75]
Style of play
Since his breakthrough season, El Shaarawy was considered to be an up-and-coming, potentially world-class player, and one of the most promising and talented young Italian players.[76] A versatile and hard-working forward, he primarily plays as aleft winger, a position which allows him to cut into the centre onto his stronger right foot and either attempt a shot at goal or create chances for teammates; he can also play as anattacking midfielder, as asecond striker, on the right flank, as acentre forward, or even asstriker, due to his eye for goal. Eric Steitz has noted that El Shaarawy is mainly known for his pace and agility, as well as his "outstandingdribbling ability and technical skill". He has also stated that El Shaarawy has often demonstrated his shooting power and goalscoring ability with strikes from outside the box, and has described the player as an "above-average passer", who "creates space with a solid first-touch".[77][78][79]
El Shaarawy's playing style has drawn comparisons with FIFA World Player of the Year winnerCristiano Ronaldo.[80] El Shaarawy cites former Milan playmakerKaká as his role model.[81][82] Milan legendJosé Altafini compared El Shaarawy toNeymar andLionel Messi: "El Shaarawy reminds me of Neymar and Messi. They have a lowcenter of gravity. They play with the ball glued to their feet. He has already proven that he's a good player. The important thing is not to bulk him up too much".[83] In spite of his talent, however, he has often struggled with injuries.[84][85][86]
_39_(cropped3).jpg)
_74.jpg)
_cropped.jpg)
