“We put everything on the table”
Bayer’s offensive star slipped through the fingers of the DFB
June 16, 2026 – 2:09 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
Ibrahim Maza was considered one of the greatest German football talents of his year. The Berlin native will now be playing for Algeria at the 2026 World Cup – and will meet his idol.
Ibrahim Maza is facing a special moment at the 2026 World Cup. The attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen is part of the Algeria squad and will face world champions Argentina at the start of Group J. This also puts him opposite his childhood idol Lionel Messi. If the German Football Association (DFB) had had its way, Maza would have preferred to be on the pitch for the German team against Curaçao.
In his youth at the DFB
Just a few years ago there were many signs that Ibrahim Maza, known as Ibo, would play for Germany. The Berlin native was born on November 24, 2005. Since his father comes from Algeria and his mother is Vietnamese, three national teams were considered for him: Germany, Algeria and Vietnam.
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For a long time his path led to the DFB. Maza played 13 international matches for the German U18, U19 and U20 youth teams. The offensive player was one of the greatest talents of his year early on.
Discussions with the DFB
In autumn 2024, however, Maza decided against the DFB and for Algeria. The association had previously tried to convince the strong dribbling offensive player of a future in the German national team.
- The DFB has a challenge that it can do little about
- This team could also have played for Germany
Germany’s U-20 national coach Hannes Wolf announced the failed talks in the Sport1 one-two: “We are coming with the U20 and Algeria is coming with the senior national team. And we have put everything on the table.” With competitors in his position like Jamal Musiala or Florian Wirtz, Maza “feels like the position is closed.”
Instead of further appearances for German youth national teams, he was nominated for Algeria’s A team. Shortly afterwards, Maza made his debut. Maza has now played 15 international matches for the “Desert Foxes”.
Fast climb
Maza began his training with the Reinickendorfer Füchse. In 2016 he moved to the youth department of Hertha BSC. There he moved up to the professional squad in 2023. With his Bundesliga debut, he became the second youngest Bundesliga player in the club’s history. A few weeks later he scored his first goal in the German upper house against VfL Wolfsburg.