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 Msakni withAl Duhail in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Youssef Msakni[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-10-28)28 October 1990 (age 35)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Tunis, Tunisia | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger,forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Espérance de Tunis | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2007 | Stade Tunisien | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | Stade Tunisien | 28 | (8) |
| 2008–2013 | Espérance de Tunis | 95 | (37) |
| 2013–2023 | Al Duhail | 119 | (73) |
| 2019 | →Eupen (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| 2021–2023 | →Al Arabi (loan) | 40 | (23) |
| 2023–2025 | Al Arabi | 31 | (16) |
| 2025– | Espérance de Tunis | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006–2007 | Tunisia U17 | 13 | (4) |
| 2009 | Tunisia U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Tunisia U23 | 4 | (1) |
| 2010– | Tunisia | 104 | (23) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:04, 25 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 October 2024 | |||
Youssef Msakni (Arabic:يُوسُف الْمُسَاكِنِيّ; born 28 October 1990) is a Tunisian professionalfootballer who plays as awinger orforward forTunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 clubEspérance de Tunis and captains theTunisia national team.
Msakni has played over 100 matches and scored 23 goals for Tunisia.[2]
Having spent his youth career atStade Tunisien, Msakni moved toEspérance de Tunis in July 2008.
He played his first game with ES Tunis on 26 July 2009, on the first day of the2009–10 season, againstOlympique Béja. He entered the field in the 79th minute of play in replacement ofHenri Bienvenu. Two weeks later, on 8 August, Msakni scored his first league goal in his third game againstAS Kasserine in the 54th minute of play of a 4–0 win.
On 12 November 2011, he won theCAF Champions League, finishing second in the competition with five goals, just behindWydad AC strikerFabrice Ondama, who scored six goals.
On 30 September 2012, he won theTunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 for the fourth time, winning the title of best scorer in the Tunisian football championship with 17 goals. According to Goal.com, Msakni was the 48th best footballer of the 2012 season in all countries, thanks in particular to the performances he realized under the colors of his club or the national team. During the transfer period, he was courted by many French clubs, includingParis Saint-Germain,Lille OSC,AS Monaco andFC Lorient, but on 3 July 2012 the attacking midfielder signed on a four-year contract with Qatari Stars League clubLekhwiya SC, but he joined the club on 1 January 2013.[3]
On 1 January 2013, Msakni became a player of Qatari club Lekhwiya SC for a period of four and a half years; the total amount of the transfer was 23 million dinars (€11.5 million), a record for an African player.
On 10 February, he scored his first goal in the 28th minute, with his team winning 4–0 againstAl-Wakrah SC. On 26 February, Msakni proved decisive in theAFC Champions League with a free-kick in the 33rd minute, allowing his team to win 2–1. In March 2013, Msakni was reportedly coveted by four English clubs:Newcastle United,Arsenal,Everton, andTottenham. This growing interest pushed the Qatari club leaders to review the player's release clause by increasing his price. On 4 May, he won the2013 Qatar Crown Prince Cup against theAl Sadd after scoring his team's third goal in a 3–2 win.
A complicated start to the 2013–14 season, during which he scored 7 goals in 12 league games, the Qatari media linked him with a departure to Ukrainian championsShakhtar Donetsk.
The start of the Asian campaign begins on 8 February 2014 for Msakni and his teammates: they opposed the Bahraini teamHidd SCC in the second round of the2014 AFC Champions League; they won the match 2–1, including a decisive pass from the Tunisian striker. A week later, Lekhwiya SC competed in the third preliminary round of the same competition against Kuwaiti clubKuwait SC, where two of his teammates inTunisia,Issam Jemâa andChadi Hammami, played. Msakni scored a goal and delivered two assists.
After the team changed its name from Lekhwiya to Al Duhail, he received offers fromOlympique de Marseille and teams playing inLa Liga, but he preferred to stay in Qatar and play in Europe after2018 FIFA World Cup.
On 8 April 2018, it was reported that Msakni would miss this summer's World Cup in Russia after being ruled out for six months because of a knee injury.[4]
Msakni was linked with a move toPremier League clubBrighton & Hove Albion in December 2018.[5] In January 2019, he moved on loan toBelgian First Division A sideK.A.S. Eupen.[6]
In November 2025, Msakni returned to Espérance de Tunis after nearly 13 years of his departure following the injury ofYoucef Belaïli.
On 14 December 2009, he received his first call-up to theTunisia national team from coachFaouzi Benzarti for a friendly againstGambia in preparation for the2010 Africa Cup of Nations. On 9 January 2010, atStade El Menzah. He entered the field in the 35th minute followingOussama Darragi's injury. Msakni played his first Africa Cup of Nations at only 19 years old and held a place in the Benzarti squad. In the first match, againstZambia, he delivered a decisive pass toZouheir Dhaouadi, offering him the goal of the equalizer. He was one of the players in the match againstGabon, and was replaced in the 67th minute byChaouki Ben Saada. However, he did not participate in the elimination of his team againstCameroon.
On 25 February 2011, he won the2011 CHAN with Tunisia on a 3–0 victory over Angola; he scored a single goal during this competition, against Angola but this time in the group stage.
In the first game againstMorocco, he scored in the 75th minute of play by eliminating two opponents, dribbling them one after the other before striking a cross hit of the right, which allowed Tunisia to win the match 2–1. In the second game againstNiger, he opened the score in the fourth minute of play by passing through three opponents before entering the surface and scoring right; Tunisia took a 2–1 lead and qualified for the quarter-finals of the2012 Africa Cup of Nations. The third match was difficult for Tunisia and lost 0–1 against Gabon. The quarter-finals between Tunisia andGhana when Tunisia was eliminated from the competition.
Following a difficult qualification at2013 Africa Cup of Nations againstSierra Leone, Msakni was a part of the group inSouth Africa. On 22 January, in the first match of Group D againstAlgeria, he scored in the 90th minute by undoing a 25-meter rolled strike that is lodged in the goal ofRaïs M'Bolhi, allowing Tunisians to win the match 1–0). He e was elected as the man of the match and the scorer of the most beautiful goal of the competition. Once again in the second match, Msakni and his team-mates lost 0–3 against theIvory Coast. In the last game of group stage, Tunisia drew 1–1 withTogo and finished third in Group D.
Msakni took part in the2015 Africa Cup of Nations inEquatorial Guinea, where he played in the first match againstCape Verde replacingWahbi Khazri in the 82nd minute. He played the full match of his team's 2–1 win againstZambia. He was a substitute at the last match in the group stage againstDR Congo replacingMohamed Ali Yacoubi in the 104th minute in extra time againstEquatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals. Tunisia lost 1–2.
Msakni played a major role inqualifying for the tournament after scoring againstTogo inMonastir. He was also one of the leading players in thegroup stage after delivering an assist againstAlgeria in the 50th minute which they won 2–1 and scoring a goal againstZimbabwe in the 22nd minute of a 4–2 win. Tunisia was eliminated in the quarter-finals againstBurkina Faso after losing 0–2.
On 7 October 2017, Msakni scored his first international hat-trick in a 4–1 away victory againstGuinea during the2018 World Cup qualifiers third round.[7] He later captained his national team during the2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, scoring a penalty in a 1–1 draw againstAngola in the opening match,[8] and another goal in a 3–0 win overMadagascar in the quarter-finals.[9]
On 30 December 2021, Msakni was named in the 28-man squad for the2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.[10] On 4 January 2022, it was announced that both Msakni andSeifeddine Jaziri tested positive forCOVID-19, but theTunisian Football Federation were not allowed to replace them ahead of the tournament.[11] Later on, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory overNigeria in the round of 16.[12]
In November 2022, he was called up for the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[13] On 28 December 2023, he was included in the squad for the2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.[14] He earned his 100th cap with the national team in the opening match of the African tournament againstNamibia.[15]
Msakni is the younger brother of fellow Tunisian internationalIheb,[16] and he is the son of formerStade Tunisien player Mondher Msakni.
On 4 July 2017, Msakni married the Tunisian actress and fashion model Amira Jaziri, but in 2021, the couple was separated.[17]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stade Tunisien | 2006–07 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2007–08 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 6 | |||
| Total | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 8 | ||||
| Espérance de Tunis | 2007–08 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | 12[a] | 0 | 34 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 13[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 6 | |
| 2010–11 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 24 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 11[b] | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 16 | |
| 2011–12 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 28 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 10[b] | 4 | 3[c] | 0 | 41 | 21 | |
| 2012–13 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 104 | 37 | 9 | 3 | 34 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 162 | 49 | ||
| Al Duhail | 2012–13 | Qatar Stars League | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9[d] | 4 | 2[e] | 1 | 20 | 10 |
| 2013–14 | Qatar Stars League | 22 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 1 | 7[f] | 1 | 38 | 14 | |
| 2014–15 | Qatar Stars League | 17 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 9[d] | 5 | 2[g] | 2 | 29 | 14 | |
| 2015–16 | Qatar Stars League | 23 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 6[d] | 0 | 3[h] | 1 | 32 | 15 | |
| 2016–17 | Qatar Stars League | 12 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 7[d] | 3 | 2[i] | 0 | 23 | 12 | |
| 2017–18 | Qatar Stars League | 22 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 4[d] | 2 | 1[j] | 0 | 26 | 27 | |
| 2019–20 | Qatar Stars League | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2[d] | 1 | 4[k] | 1 | 20 | 6 | |
| 2020–21 | Qatar Stars League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 119 | 73 | 9 | 4 | 45 | 16 | 21 | 6 | 194 | 99 | ||
| Eupen (loan) | 2018–19 | Belgian Pro League | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 6[l] | 2 | 13 | 3 | |
| Al Arabi (loan) | 2020–21 | Qatar Stars League | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 3[m] | 2 | 12 | 6 | |
| 2021–22 | Qatar Stars League | 14 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | Qatar Stars League | 20 | 13 | 4 | 4 | — | 5[n] | 4 | 29 | 21 | ||
| Total | 40 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 55 | 35 | ||
| Al Arabi | 2023–24 | Qatar Stars League | 19 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1[d] | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 12 |
| 2024–25 | Qatar Stars League | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | 12 | 7 | ||
| Total | 27 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 35 | 19 | ||
| Espérance de Tunis | 2025–26 | Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 325 | 156 | 34 | 15 | 77 | 25 | 46 | 16 | 482 | 213 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunisia | 2010 | 6 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2013 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 11 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 15 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 104 | 23 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 January 2012 | Stade d'Angondjé,Libreville, Gabon |  Morocco | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 2 | 27 January 2012 | Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon |  Niger | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3 | 8 September 2012 | National Stadium,Freetown, Sierra Leone |  Sierra Leone | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 4 | 22 January 2013 | Royal Bafokeng Stadium,Phokeng, South Africa |  Algeria | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2013 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 5 | 25 March 2016 | Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet,Monastir, Tunisia |  Togo | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 6 | 23 January 2017 | Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon |  Zimbabwe | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2017 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 7 | 7 October 2017 | Stade du 28 Septembre,Conakry, Guinea |  Guinea | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 2–1 | |||||
| 9 | 4–1 | |||||
| 10 | 25 June 2019 | Suez Stadium,Suez, Egypt |  Angola | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 11 | 11 July 2019 | Al Salam Stadium,Cairo, Egypt |  Madagascar | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 12 | 13 November 2020 | Stade Hammadi Agrebi,Tunis, Tunisia |  Tanzania | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 13 | 30 November 2021 | Ahmed bin Ali Stadium,Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Mauritania | 5–1 | 5–1 | 2021 FIFA Arab Cup |
| 14 | 10 December 2021 | Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Oman | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2021 FIFA Arab Cup |
| 15 | 23 January 2022 | Roumdé Adjia Stadium,Garoua, Cameroon |  Nigeria | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2021 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 16 | 2 June 2022 | Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia |  Equatorial Guinea | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 17 | 4–0 | |||||
| 18 | 24 March 2023 | Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia |  Libya | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 19 | 7 September 2023 | Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia |  Botswana | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 20 | 3–0 | |||||
| 21 | 17 November 2023 | Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia |  São Tomé and Príncipe | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 21 November 2023 | Bingu National Stadium,Lilongwe, Malawi |  Malawi | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 10 January 2024 | Hammadi Agrebi Stadium,Tunis, Tunisia |  Cape Verde | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
Espérance
Lekhwiya/Al-Duhail
Tunisia
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