The fleet-footed teenager has been lighting up Stade Louis II in the 2024-25 campaign, and could be in line for a dream move if he can keep it up
Few clubs in world football have a better track record with young talent than Monaco. France legends Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Petit, Lilian Thuram and David Trezeguet all came through the academy ranks at Stade Louis II, while in more recent times, Kylian Mbappe, Aurelien Tchouameni and Benoit Badiashile have trodden the same path.
Eliesse Ben Seghir looks set to be the next superstar to come out of the Monaco ranks. Described as "fearless" by the club's former sporting director Paul Mitchell, the 19-year-old has already emerged as a key figure in the first-team squad.
It has even been reported that Barcelona now hold an interest in Ben Seghir, who just so happens to idolise two of the most gifted players to ever grace the pitch for the La Liga giants. "Neymar is my example. I love his freedom and style of play," the teenager said in an interview with . "All young players see themselves in him. And of course, there’s [Lionel] Messi, whose ability to outplay an entire team is unbelievable."
If he continues on his current trajectory, Ben Seghir may get the chance to emulate his role models at Camp Nou. But what exactly is it that makes the Monaco starlet such an exciting prospect? GOAL is on hand to bring you everything you need to know…
Where it all began
Ben Seghir was born in 2005, in the coastal town of Saint Tropez on the French Riviera, and raised by Moroccan parents. He started his football journey at the age of five, joining local club SC Cogolinois, where he spent the next six years honing his skills.
In 2016, the youngster was snapped up by Frejus St-Raphael, the amateur side that once housed former France international Adil Rami, and he soon started attracting attention from bigger clubs. Nice were the first to watch Ben Seghir in action, having already drafted his older brother Salim into their youth ranks.
"He made me want to play football," Ben Seghir told when asked about his relationship with Salim. "I followed him everywhere, even to his trials. That motivated me to chase my dream." However, he would not end up following his brother to Nice.
According to , Nice considered Eliesse to be "too frail" to reach the highest level of the game. It was a damaging blow, but far from a decisive one, as Ben Seghir continued to impress upon his return to Frejus St-Raphael, and he was rewarded for his persistence when Monaco came calling in 2020.
Monaco invited Ben Seghir to join their academy, confident that his technical ability far outweighed any physical concerns. Two years later, he signed his first professional contract with the Ligue 1 giants at just 17, having been quickly promoted to the club's 'Elite Group' usually reserved for players aged between 19 and 21.
It would appear that Nice put their faith in the wrong brother. Salim, who is two years older than Eliesse, failed to make the grade at Nice or Marseille, and is now plying his trade in Switzerland.
AdvertisementThe big break
Ben Seghir's rapid rise was made all the more remarkable by the fact he had to deal with the death of his father during the Covid-19 pandemic, which he described as an "immense shock" in an interview with . The tragedy only spurred Ben Seghir on, however, as he set about honouring his father's memory by carving out a name for himself at one of the biggest clubs in French football.
Philippe Clement handed Ben Seghir his senior debut for Monaco in a Europa League clash with Red Star Belgrade in November 2022, and the following month he made his Ligue 1 bow away at Auxerre. Ben Seghir came on at half-time for Wissam Ben Yedder with the scoreline locked at 1-1, and delivered a history-making performance.
The teenager put Monaco 2-1 up with a cool finish in the 57th minute, only for a Youssouf Fofana own goal to bring Auxerre back into the game 10 minutes later. A draw seemed inevitable heading into the final stages, but Ben Seghir would have the final say in spectacular fashion; he picked up the ball on the left wing before cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net from 20 yards out, stunning the home crowd into silence.
Monaco held on for a 3-2 win as Ben Seghir became the youngest player to score a Ligue 1 brace in 75 years, much to the delight of his manager. "It wasn’t a surprise to me because he shows great things in training," Clement told reporters. "Eliesse is only 17 years old, but when you prove so much during the sessions, age doesn’t matter. He deserved his chance."
Ben Seghir would go on to finish his first full season in the Monaco first team with eight goal contributions across 25 appearances, prompting fans to dub him the 'little prince'.
AFPHow it's going
Unfortunately, Ben Seghir was not able to make any more great strides forward in the 2023-24 campaign, which saw Adi Hutter drafted in to replace Clement as head coach. A combination of shoulder, hip and hamstring injuries restricted the talented teenager to just 14 appearances across all competitions, which led him to hire a personal physiotherapist.
Ben Seghir did make one significant career move, though, opting to switch allegiance from France to Morocco, after representing Les Bleus at Under-20, U19 and U18 level. "I have had the chance to play for two big footballing nations," he said before making his debut for the Atlas Lions in a friendly against Angola in March. "It was a difficult choice, but one that I deeply considered. I made this choice because of my origins; my parents are Moroccan."
The Monaco starlet helped Morocco's U23s win bronze at the Paris Olympics, and has since become a regular in Walid Regragui's senior line up. Ben Seghir's emergence at international level has coincided with a return to full fitness at Monaco in 2024-25, as he's taken his game to new heights under the tutelage of Hutter.
Ben Seghir has made his mark on both domestic and European stages, notching seven goals and four assists in 23 appearances. Most notably, he was one of Monaco's standout players in a stunning upset victory over Barcelona in his first-ever Champions League outing, which he handled with a maturity well beyond his years. Speaking alongside fellow youngster Maghnes Akliouche after the game, Ben Seghir said to the media: "He and I play without pressure. We don’t feel this expectation around us, we play freely and we perform well."
Ben Seghir has added another dimension in attack for Monaco, who may already have conceded the Ligue 1 title to Paris Saint-Germain, but still have a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League last-16 and will also be eyeing a strong run in the Coupe de France after seeing off L'Union Saint Jean in the round of 64 – with Ben Seghir among the scorers in a 4-1 victory.
AFPBiggest strengths
"He always plays forward. He is a player who is not afraid," Morocco boss Regragui said when quizzed on Ben Seghir's development in the last international break. "These are rare players, everything will be played out in his head." That fearlessness is what makes Ben Seghir so thrilling to watch.
The teenage winger is versatile enough to play anywhere across the frontline, but causes the most damage from the left, and boasts a rocket for a right foot. He's already an accomplished technician with superb dribbling skills and vision, while he also boasts an explosive turn of pace that makes him almost impossible to pin down.
Ben Seghir's movement off the ball is also impressive; he constantly looks to occupy pockets of space and has a knack for timing late runs into the box. No other player in the Monaco squad is more comfortable on the ball than Ben Seghir either, and he will often be the one to open up tight games with a moment of magic.
