Ibrahim Maza

Ibrahim Maza is a 20-year-old midfielder who came through the youth section at Hertha BSC and now plays for Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The club says he made 44 appearances for it in all competitions last season [2]. He was born in Berlin on 24 November 2005 [1] [3], and he plays for Algeria [1].

Hertha, then a move to Leverkusen

Maza was already playing Bundesliga football as a teenager. On 27 May 2023 he came on in the 46th minute at Wolfsburg and scored the equaliser in the 55th, as Hertha won 2-1 [7]. Hertha were in the second division by the time of his move, and he said he had “the best opportunities to develop and improve with Hertha in the second division” [1].

Leverkusen announced his signing on 1 May 2025 [1]. Sporting director Simon Rolfes called him “currently one of the most interesting young attacking players” [1]. The club’s account of the move says the contract runs to 30 June 2030 [1]. Bayer 04 also said he moved from Hertha’s youth section to Leverkusen in the summer of 2025 [2].

A season at Leverkusen

Bayer 04 says he was voted Player of the Match in the Champions League away win at Benfica, which ended 1-0 [2]. Africa Soccer counted five goals in 45 matches for Leverkusen by September 2026 [9]. Those totals come from press counts, so they may differ from the official tallies.

In Algeria he is known as “Mazadona”, a reference to Diego Maradona [9].

Germany youth, then Algeria

Maza made 13 appearances for Germany’s U18, U19 and U20 teams before he opted to play for Algeria in 2024 [1]. FotMob lists 24 matches and 3 goals for Algeria since October 2024 [4]. Africa Soccer gave 21 appearances and two goals in its September 2026 profile [9], so the national-team totals differ between sources.

The 2026 World Cup

Algeria played at the 2026 World Cup in North America, and Maza started all four of their matches [2]. Before the opener against Argentina, he told Africa Soccer that “The first match is very important against Argentina,” and that “Calmness will be the key to success in this confrontation” [8]. He also said, “We will beat Messi, God willing” [8].

The Young Talent shortlist

Bayer 04 reports that Maza is on the ten-player shortlist for the Men’s Young Talent of the Year, the award category at the Ballon d’Or [2]. The same list includes Lamine Yamal and Yan Diomande [2].

The club says Maza attended the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium [2]. Africa Soccer described the shortlist place as his first Ballon d’Or nomination [9].

Contract talks and PSG reports

The reports from October disagree. On 10 October 2026, GetFootballNewsGermany reported, citing Sky Germany, that Leverkusen had started talks to extend his contract beyond 2030 [5]. That report named Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Manchester City as clubs monitoring him, and it does not mention Paris Saint-Germain [5].

A Bulinews report, which also cites Sky Germany, says PSG are closely monitoring him, have made their interest known to his representatives, and are considering a January move [6]. These are reports, not confirmed moves. The sources checked for this page show no bid, no signed extension and no agreed transfer [5] [6].

The numbers on the league profile

The Bundesliga profile lists him at 180 cm, with the number 30 shirt [3]. The same page shows 7 appearances, 2 goals and 2 assists for the 2026/27 season [3]. That is a different season from the 44 appearances the club gives for last season [2].