Sami El Morabet

Sami El Morabet
Personal information
Date of birth (2009-05-19) 19 May 2009
Place of birth Belgium
Position Defender
Team information
Current team
 Jong Genk
Number 54
Youth career
KRC Genk
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2026– Jong Genk 0 (0)
International career‡
2024 Belgium U15 2 (0)
2024 Morocco U16
2024–2025 Belgium U16 3 (0)
2025– Belgium U17 12 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Belgium
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Runner-up2026 Estonia
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20 July 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 20 July 2026

Sami El Morabet (born 19 May 2009) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Jong Genk.

Club career

A native of Alken,[1] El Morabet is a product of the KRC Genk youth system.[2] He signed his first contract, a three-year deal, in June 2024.[3][4] El Morabet helped KRC Genk win the U18 Elite league title in 2025–26 after losing just one match all season.[2]

El Morabet was promoted to Genk's reserve side, Jong Genk, ahead of the 2026–27 Challenger Pro League season. He was a starter in their first pre-season friendly, a 7–0 win over Kabouters Opglabbeek on 11 July 2026.[5] El Morabet started again four days later in another pre-season win over RWDM Brussels.[6]

International career

El Morabet was born in Belgium and has Moroccan roots, thus making him eligible to represent Belgium and Morocco at the international level. By 2026, he had been approached "multiple times" by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to commit to Morocco.[7] El Morabet has represented his birth country of Belgium at the under-15, under-16, and under-17 levels.[8] He also earned a call-up to the Morocco under-16s in 2024.[9]

El Morabet was first called up to the Belgium U17s by manager Sven Vermant in October 2025 for European Under-17 Championship qualification.[1] He was then selected to play the European Under-17 Championship, held in Estonia in May and June 2026.[10] El Morabet started in Belgium's 2–1 semi-final win over France, securing their place in the final of the competition for the first time in the nation's history.[11] The win also avenged their semi-final loss to France the previous year.[12] Belgium finished as runner-ups after losing in the final to Italy via penalty shoot-out.[13] According to RTBF, El Morabet "stole the show" throughout the competition, starting in all five matches.[14] He was subsequently named to the Team of the Tournament.[15]

Player profile

El Morabet is considered a versatile defender who has been employed both as a left-back and a right-back.[7] His under-18 coach at Genk, Eric Reenaers, said he epitomized the "modern full-back".[7]

In 2025, El Morabet was described as an "offensively minded and technically skilled right-back who can cover the entire flank".[1]

Honours

Belgium U17

KRC Genk

  • U18 Elite champion: 2025–26

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 Standaert, Thomas; Claes, Sven (7 October 2025). ""We willen hier reclame maken voor ons voetbal": dit 'mini-EK' vindt deze week plaats in Limburg". Het Belang van Limburg (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 Conings, Wim (7 June 2026). "Eén van de grootste verdedigende talenten van België en 'de nieuwe Arthur Vermeeren': wie zijn de eerste Belgische U17-spelers in een EK-finale?". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Four talented players sign first contract". KRC Genk. 8 June 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "OFFICIEEL: KRC Genk haalt PSV-jongeling, vier profcontracten voor jonkies". VoetbalPrimeur (in Dutch). 8 June 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "Eerste oefenzege Jong Genk" (in Dutch). KRC Genk. 11 July 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Jong Genk klopt RWDM met 6-2" (in Dutch). KRC Genk. 15 July 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Schroyen, Stephen (5 June 2026). "Wie zijn de Genkies in de finale van EK U17? "Bij hem rollen de 'wauws' en 'ohs' van de tribune"". Het Belang van Limburg (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Sami El Morabet" (in French). Royal Belgian Football Association. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Foot : l'équipe nationale U16 en stage de préparation à Salé". Hespress (in French). 5 September 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Sélection de l'Équipe Nationale des U17" (in French). Royal Belgian Football Association. Archived from the original on 20 July 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Van Essche, Niel (4 June 2026). "Belgische U17 schrijven geschiedenis met eerste EK-finale, waar ze het opnemen tegen Italië: "Onze honger is nog niet gestild"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Lizin, Cédric (4 June 2026). "Euro U17 : la Belgique élimine la France et s'offre une première finale européenne" (in French). RTBF. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "2026 Under-17 EURO final highlights: Belgium 1-1 Italy (Italy win 4-3 on penalties)". UEFA. 7 June 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Hick, Antoine (8 June 2026). "Mbavu, El Morabet, Onia Seke : les Diablotins qui ont crevé l'écran à l'Euro U17" (in French). RTBF. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "2026 U17 EURO Team of the Tournament". UEFA. 9 June 2026. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
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