Bilal El Khannouss

Bilal El Khannouss
El Khannouss with Morocco in 2026
Personal information
Full name Bilal El Khannouss[1]
Date of birth (2004-05-10) 10 May 2004
Place of birth Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Belgium
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 VfB Stuttgart
Number 11
Youth career
2009–2019 Anderlecht
2019–2022 Genk
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2024 Genk 78 (4)
2024–2026 Leicester City 34 (2)
2025–2026 → VfB Stuttgart (loan) 25 (4)
2026– VfB Stuttgart 1 (0)
International career‡
2019 Belgium U15 3 (1)
2019–2020 Belgium U16 7 (2)
2021 Belgium U18 3 (1)
2022 Morocco U20 4 (0)
2022– Morocco U23 12 (1)
2022– Morocco 43 (3)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Morocco
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner2025 Morocco
U-23 Africa Cup of Nations
Winner2023 Morocco
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2024 ParisTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:28, 28 August 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:15, 9 July 2026 (UTC)

Bilal El Khannouss (Arabic: بلال الخنوس; born 10 May 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart. Born in Belgium, he plays for the Morocco national team.

Club career

Genk

El Khannouss joined Anderlecht in 2009, but moved to Genk in 2019 due to a lack of playing opportunities.[2][3] On 24 July 2020, he signed his first professional contract.[4] He made his league debut on 21 May 2022 in a 0–0 draw against Mechelen.[5]

On 1 November 2023, El Khannouss was nominated for the 2023 African Young Player of the Year by CAF.[6]

Leicester City

El Khannouss signed for Premier League club Leicester City on 29 August 2024 on a four-year deal for a reported £21m fee.[7][8] He was assigned the number 11 shirt.[7] El Khannouss made his Leicester debut on 31 August 2024 in a 2–1 loss against Aston Villa.[9] His first start came in a 1–1 draw against Everton on 21 September 2024.[10] He scored his first goal for the Foxes on 3 December 2024 in a 3–1 home league victory against West Ham United.[11]

VfB Stuttgart

On 1 September 2025, El Khannouss joined VfB Stuttgart on loan.[12] Later that month, on 19 September, he scored his first goal in a 2–0 victory over St. Pauli.[13] On 25 May 2026, his loan spell was made permanent as he signed a long-term contract with the club.[14]

International career

Born in Belgium, El Khannouss is of Moroccan descent with origins in Tangier.[15][16] A former youth international for Belgium, El Khannous switched to represent the Morocco U20s.[17]

On 10 November 2022, he was named in Morocco's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[18][19] On 17 December, he made his international debut in the World Cup third-place playoff against Croatia, which ended in a 2–1 defeat.[20]

In June 2023, he was included in the final squad of the under-23 national team for the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted by Morocco itself,[21][22] where the Atlas Lions won their first title,[23][24] and qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[23][25] On 21 March 2025, he scored his first international goal in a 2–1 victory over Niger during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[26]

On 11 December 2025, El Khannouss was called up to the Morocco squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[27]

On 26 May 2026, El Khannouss was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[28]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 28 August 2026[29]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Genk 2021–22 Belgian Pro League 1000—0010
2022–23 Belgian Pro League 39120——411
2023–24 Belgian Pro League 37320—12[c]0513
2024–25 Belgian Pro League 10———10
Total 78440—120944
Leicester City 2024–25 Premier League 3222021—363
2025–26 Championship 200010—30
Total 3422031—393
VfB Stuttgart (loan) 2025–26 Bundesliga 25450—11[d]5419
VfB Stuttgart 2026–27 Bundesliga 1010—0020
Career total 13691203123517415
  1. ↑ Includes Belgian Cup, FA Cup, DFB-Pokal
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League, eight appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 9 July 2026[30]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Morocco 202210
202360
2024110
2025112
2026141
Total433
Morocco score listed first, score column indicates score after each El Khannouss goal.
List of international goals scored by Bilal El Khannouss
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
121 March 2025Honor Stadium, Oujda, Morocco Niger2–12–12026 FIFA World Cup qualification
218 November 2025Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier, Morocco Uganda4–04–0Friendly
331 March 2026Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France Paraguay1–02–1

Honours

VfB Stuttgart

Morocco U23

Morocco

Individual

Orders

References

  1. ↑ "2024/25 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  2. ↑ "El Khannous verlaat Anderlecht". anderlecht-online.be.
  3. ↑ "El Khannouss toverde als piepjong RSCA-talent met Lavia en Sadiki: "Ik herinner me die actie nog"". Sporza (in Dutch). 30 April 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  4. ↑ Projects, Sanmax. "Jeugdinternational Bilal El Khannouss (16) tekent eerste contract | KRC Genk". krcgenk.be.
  5. ↑ "ONZE PUNTEN. Niet de avond van Paul Onuachu, knap debuut van Bilal El Khannous". hbvl.be. 21 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "CAF announces CAF Awards 2023 Nominees for Men's Categories". CAF. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Bilal El Khannouss Signs Four-Year Deal". lcfc.com. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Bilal El Khannouss: Leicester sign Morocco midfielder from Genk for £21m". BBC Sport. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Cooper Disappointed With Villa Outcome". lcfc.com. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Jordan Blackwell (22 September 2024). "First Bilal El Khannouss start didn't go as Steve Cooper planned – but it wasn't his fault". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  11. ↑ Lansley, Peter (3 December 2024). "Vardy starts Van Nistelrooy welcoming party as Leicester add to West Ham woe". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  12. ↑ "VfB sign Bilal El Khannouss on loan". VfB Stuttgart. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "VfB Stuttgart 2–0 St. Pauli". ESPN. 19 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "Feste Verpflichtung von Bilal El Khannouss" (in German). VfB Stuttgart. 25 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Un joueur de Genk préfère le Maroc à la Belgique". footnews.be.
  16. ↑ "Rencontre avec le papa El Khannouss après sa visite à son fils à l'hôtel du "Maroc" à Doha". dhnet.be.
  17. ↑ l'Atlas, Lions De (22 June 2021). "Coupe arabe U20 : Les Lionceaux se préparent au festin face aux Requins du Djibouti".
  18. ↑ "Morocco World Cup 2022 squad: Who's in and who's out? | Goal.com". Goal (website). Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  19. ↑ "Moroccan coach unveils list of 26 Atlas Lions in 2022 World Cup". HESPRESS English – Morocco News. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  20. ↑ Bart De Vré (17 December 2022). "Bilal El Khannouss, Racing Genk, maakte een prima debuut voor Marokko: "Zeker geslaagd"". voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch).
  21. ↑ "Sei bianconeri con le nazionali". FC Lugano (in Italian). 9 June 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  22. ↑ "تشكيلة المنتخب الوطني لاقل من 23 سنة امام غينيا". Royal Moroccan Football Federation (in Arabic). 24 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  23. 1 2 3 "Morocco win maiden TotalEnergies U-23 Africa Cup of Nations title with victory over Egypt | Total U-23 Africa Cup of Nations 2023". CAFOnline.com. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  24. 1 2 "Le Maroc remporte la CAN U23 au bout de la prolongation". SO FOOT.com (in French). 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  25. ↑ "Le Mali, le Maroc et l'Égypte qualifiés pour les JO 2024". SO FOOT.com (in French). 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  26. ↑ "Morocco Triumphs 2-1 Over Niger in World Cup Qualifier". Morocco World News. 21 March 2025.
  27. ↑ "Morocco name star-studded AFCON squad as Hakimi makes cut but Diop misses out". Confederation of African Football. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  28. ↑ "Morocco squad brimming with Qatar 2022 heroes". 26 May 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "Bilal El Khannouss". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  30. ↑ "El Khannouss, Bilal". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  31. ↑ "Egypt U23 vs Morocco U23: Olympics". BBC Sport. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  32. ↑ Bosher, Luke; Joseph, Sam; Harris, Jay (18 March 2026). "Morocco crowned AFCON winners 57 days after final as Senegal's victory declared void". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  33. ↑ "Gala du Soulier d'Or : Bilal El Khannouss élu Espoir de l'année avec un point d'avance sur Charles De Ketelaere". DHnet (in French). 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  34. ↑ "Bekijk hier de uitslagen van het 71e Gala van de Gouden Schoen". Sporza (in Dutch). 4 February 2025.
  35. ↑ Erraji, Abdellah (5 December 2023). "Morocco's Bilal El Khannouss Wins Belgian Lion Award 2023". Morocco World News. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  36. ↑ "El Khannouss verkozen tot beste debutant in Jupiler Pro League". krcgenk.be (in Dutch). 27 March 2023.
  37. ↑ "Bilal El Khannouss wint Gouden Schoen van het OSV" (in Dutch). K.R.C. Genk. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  38. ↑ "KRC Genk plukt drie prijzen weg op Pro League Awards" (in Dutch). KRC Genk. 27 May 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  39. ↑ "King receives members of national soccer team, decorates them with Royal wissams". HESPRESS. 20 December 2022. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
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