Rafik Belghali

Rafik Belghali
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-06-07) 7 June 2002
Place of birth Leuven, Belgium
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position Right-back
Team information
Current team
 Hellas Verona
Number 7
Youth career
2009–2010 Sint-Truiden
2010–2011 PSV
2011–2013 Lierse
2013–2018 Zulte Waregem
2019–2020 Lommel
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2023 Lommel 44 (7)
2023–2025 Mechelen 48 (3)
2025– Hellas Verona 26 (2)
International career‡
2022–2025 Algeria U23 3 (0)
2025– Algeria 17 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:24, 25 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 05:26, 3 July 2026 (UTC)

Rafik Belghali (born 7 June 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Serie B club Hellas Verona. Born in Belgium, he represents the Algeria national team.

Club career

Belghali made his senior debut for Lommel during the 2021–22 season after progressing through the club's youth system.[1] In mid-2022–23 season, he suffered a knee injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.[2] On 28 June 2023, Belghali signed a three-season contract with Mechelen.[3]

On 19 August 2025, Belghali moved to Hellas Verona in Italy, signing a four-year contract.[4] He scored his first Serie A goal, opening the score in a 2–1 away defeat against Genoa on 29 November 2025.[5]

International career

In March 2022, Belghali was called up by Noureddine Ould Ali to the Algeria under-23 national team for the first time for a pair of friendlies against Mauritania.[6]

In his maiden call up to the Algerian national team, Belghali started in a friendly against Zimbabwe on 13 November 2025.[7]

On 31 May 2026, Belghali was named in Vladimir Petković's 26-man Algeria squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[8] A month later, on 27 June, he scored his first World Cup goal in a 3–3 draw with Austria.[9]

Personal life

Belghali was born in Belgium to Algerian parents.[10]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lommel 2020–21 Challenger Pro League 30———30
2021–22 Challenger Pro League 24130——271
2022–23 Challenger Pro League 17610——186
Total 44740——487
Mechelen 2023–24 Belgian Pro League 92———92
2024–25 Belgian Pro League 36120——381
2025–26 Belgian Pro League 3000——30
Total 48320——503
Hellas Verona 2025–26 Serie A 26200——262
Career total 1181260000012412

International

As of match played 2 July 2026[11]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Algeria 202571
2026101
Total172
Algeria score listed first, score column indicates score after each Belghali goal.
List of international goals scored by Rafik Belghali
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
118 November 2025Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia2–02–0Friendly
227 June 2026Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States Austria1–13–32026 FIFA World Cup

References

  1. ↑ "Rafik Belghali trekt naar KV Mechelen" (in Dutch). Lommel S.K. 28 June 2023.
  2. ↑ Claes, Sven (11 January 2023). "Domper voor Lommel SK: Rafik Belghali minstens drie maanden aan de kant met zwaar meniscusletsel" (in Dutch). hbvl.be.
  3. ↑ "Rafik Belghali is tweede zomertransfer" [Rafik Belghali is second summer transfer] (in Dutch). Mechelen. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Benvenuto Rafik! Belghali è un nuovo difensore gialloblù" [Welcome Rafik! Belghali is a new Gialloblu defender.] (in Italian). Hellas Verona FC. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "Genoa 2–1 Hellas Verona". ESPN. 29 November 2025.
  6. ↑ FAF.dz (19 March 2022). "EQUIPE NATIONALE U23 : OULD ALI CONVOQUE 23 JOUEURS POUR LA MAURITANIE" (in French). Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Highlights and goals of Algeria 3-1 Zimbabwe in FIFA Friendly 2025-26 | 11/13/2025". VAVEL. 13 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "Mondial 2026 : Petkovic dévoile sa liste des 26 joueurs". Radio Algérienne (in French). 31 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Skretta, Dave (28 June 2026). "Austria and Algeria draw 3-3 at World Cup to advance to knockout round and send Iranians home". AP News.
  10. ↑ Walid Ziani (13 March 2021). "Belgique : Ishak Boussouf dans le groupe de Lommel" (in French). DZfoot. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Rafik Belghali at National-Football-Teams.com
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