Ismaël Bennacer — Algeria World Cup 2026 Squad

Career Highlights

Ismael Bennacer was named Man of the Match in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations final after completing 96 percent of his passes and setting up the only goal in Algeria 1-0 win over Senegal. At AC Milan he won the 2021-22 Serie A title, making 31 league appearances that season. His 92.8 percent pass completion rate in 2022-23 was the highest of any Serie A midfielder with at least 1,000 passes — surpassing even registas like Jorginho and Thiago Motta in their prime seasons. He made 185 appearances for Milan across six seasons before an ACL rupture in May 2024 changed his trajectory.

Club Career

Bennacer joined Arsenal academy at 17 but made just one first-team appearance, against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup in 2015. Loan spells at Tours and Lens in Ligue 2 produced modest returns and Arsenal released him in 2017. Empoli signed him for free and he became the best player in Serie B in 2017-18, scoring 2 goals and providing 12 assists as Empoli won promotion. In his first Serie A season he averaged 61 passes per match, attracting Milan attention. AC Milan paid €16 million in 2019 and Bennacer became a starter immediately under Stefano Pioli. He formed a partnership with Franck Kessie that drove Milan to Champions League qualification and then the 2022 title. His ACL rupture against Salernitana in May 2024 required surgery and eight months of rehabilitation. Milan released him in 2025 and Dinamo Zagreb offered a platform to regain match fitness.

International Career & World Cup History

Bennacer debuted for Algeria against Tanzania in 2015 at 17 and became a regular under Djamel Belmadi. The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations was his defining tournament — he started every match and provided 2 assists plus the Man of the Match performance in the final. He was part of the Algeria squad at the 2014 World Cup but did not play, and missed the 2022 tournament after being dropped by Belmadi. He has 50 caps and 2 goals, the latter both coming in World Cup qualifiers. His role is to receive from the centre-backs and set Algeria tempo — a role that requires precision rather than dynamism.

World Cup 2026 Outlook

Bennacer at 27 should be in his prime, but the ACL injury has cost him a year of development at the highest level. Dinamo Zagreb provides competitive football but not the intensity of Serie A, and there is a genuine question over whether he can physically match World Cup opponents after such a serious injury. His passing accuracy will not disappear — it is his defining attribute — but his ability to operate under pressure, to receive the ball with an opponent on his back, needs testing at the highest level again. If Bennacer can regain his pre-injury form, he and Riyad Mahrez form Algeria most important creative axis. Algeria qualification depends on whether Bennacer can control midfields against teams that will press him, something he will not face regularly in the Croatian league.