Ibrahim Maza continues to become the focus at the 2026 World Cup when FIFA awarded him the title "Player of the match" after Algeria's 2-1 victory over Jordan in the group stage.
This is a reward usually only for the most outstanding performances, alongside top world stars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappe.
Notably, the midfielder born in 2005 did not score or directly assist. However, Maza's contributions in midfield are highly appreciated.
The Bayer Leverkusen player played the role of coordinating the play, continuously creating dangerous opportunities and helping Algeria control the game.
Post-match statistics show that he made many passes opening up scoring opportunities and won most important tackles.
This performance quickly received attention from Vietnamese fans. On the social media platform for the Vietnamese market, FIFA posted a congratulatory message to Maza, and emphasized that he is the first Vietnamese-born player to win a personal title in a World Cup match.
Ibrahim Maza was born in Germany, with an Algerian father and a Vietnamese mother. After playing for German youth teams, he decided to choose Algeria at the national team level.
Maza's progress has been very fast in the past 2 years. In 2025, he joined Bayer Leverkusen with a high transfer fee and quickly affirmed his value in the Bundesliga.
Before the 2026 World Cup, he was also ranked by many international news sites as one of the most watched young talents of the tournament.
Not only impressing on the pitch, Maza has also repeatedly mentioned his Vietnamese origin. The 20-year-old midfielder said he still keeps in touch with his wife's family and hopes to have the opportunity to return to his homeland in the future.
