Vietnamese-origin players and the journey to the 2026 World Cup
Among the Algeria team that won a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals, there is a name that attracts the attention of Vietnamese fans, Ibrahim Maza - a player with half Vietnamese blood.
Despite being just 19 years old, Maza left his mark when he participated in Algeria's 3-0 victory over Somalia, helping the team secure the top spot in Group G in the qualifying round of the African region.
The young midfielder was brought on in the 60th minute, marking his fourth match for the Algeria national team. This victory means that Algeria has officially qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
Ibrahim Maza was born and raised in Berlin - Germany, in a family of Vietnamese mother and Argentine father. He is fluent in both German and French, and has been well-trained at Hertha BSC's youth academy since 2018, after starting for a small club in Berlin since he was 6 years old.
Although he has played for the German U17 and U18 youth teams, Maza has chosen to represent Algeria at the national team level, a decision that was approved by FIFA in early 2024.
This choice is considered strategic, because the opportunity to step into the German national team is extremely difficult. Meanwhile, Algeria has both a starting position and helped him stick with his father's roots.
Rare talent and rapid rise
Maza has attracted attention since the 2022-2023 season when he was promoted to the first team by Hertha BSC at the age of 17 and quickly scored his first goal in the Bundesliga. After just over a season of professional competition, Maza has made 51 appearances, scoring 9 goals and assisting 7 times. With remarkable development, last summer, he was recruited by Bayer Leverkusen for 12 million Euros - a record number for a player of Vietnamese origin.
Transfermarkt currently values Maza at 12 million euros (more than 300 billion VND), making him the Vietnamese-born player with the highest transfer value ever. He is considered by many coaches, experts and international media to be a rare talent of the young generation of European players.
Algeria head coach Vahid Halilhodzic called Maza "the star of the next generation", while French media compared him to a "new Mahrez" for his ability to create breakthroughs in counter-attacking situations.
Although he has not had the opportunity to return to Vietnam, Maza once shared in an interview in Berlin: "I am very proud of my mother's origin. She is an important part of my life. I know Vietnam is my homeland and hope to have the opportunity to do so in the future".
At this time, Ibrahim Maza has chosen a suitable and promising career path. Although he will not wear the Vietnam national team jersey - which is almost no longer feasible - his presence on the 2026 World Cup playground will be a special source of pride for Vietnamese fans.
