While Algeria has just gained a young football promoter, the Algerian-German Ibrahim Maza, it sees another nugget slip through its fingers. This is Rayane Belaid, a young 18-year-old right winger born in Spain to Algerian parents.
Rayane Belaid is a sure bet at Atlético Madrid with whom he is linked by a professional contract until 2027. He plays in the Juvénil A team of the second club in the Spanish capital.
Last season, he won the championship in this category with his team. A title to which he greatly contributed by scoring 16 goals in 22 matches.
Born in February 2005 in Orihuela (Spain), Rayane Belaid Khelil made his debut at Elche before completing his training at Atlético Madrid.
He was spotted very early on by Algerian football officials. In October 2021, he was called up to the U18 national team. But he only played one match with the Greens because he also caught the eye of the Spanish Football Federation.
In November 2023, he was called up again for the Algeria U20 team. And as he was preparing to go to Algiers, a summons arrived from the coach of the Spanish U19s. The player quickly made his choice. He opted for the country of his birth, a choice he and his family believed was better for his career.
Between Algeria and Spain, Atlético Madrid player Rayane Belaid made his choice
The player seems to have definitively opted for Spanish sporting nationality. “At the beginning, Algeria selected me. And a week later, Spain calls me. I was asked to wait before accepting Algeria’s offer in case the national team called me and that happened », Said Rayane Belaid, whose comments were taken up this Saturday October 12 by Foot Mercato. The rest is known: “ I decided it with my family, we understood that it was the best for me and that’s what happened” he said.
On November 2, 2023, the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) published a press release on the cases of two players playing in Spain, who failed to join the national team. They are Yacine Sanhadji from Real Bétis and Rayane Belaid.
She affirmed that the two players were called up to the Algeria U20 team, “ after having obtained their agreement in principle and the approval of their respective parents, in accordance with the usual procedures ».
The FAF explained that it had sent summons to the two players, via their respective clubs, to “ attend the first training camp of the Algerian team » and that they, « were not followed up, on the grounds that these players chose the Spanish U19 selection, following their summons by the Spanish Football Federation (FEF) ».
Rayane Belaid is added to the list of binational players who have chosen to defend the colors of their country of birth, such as Yacine Adli or Maghnes Akliouche who preferred to opt for the French team.
Many others, however, have chosen to play for Algeria while they are still young and can aspire to a place in a European selection.
The latest is Hertha Berlin attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza who inaugurated his journey with Algeria in a very good way on Thursday October 10 against Togo, in the CAN 2025 qualifiers (5-1). Before opting for Algeria, Maza was regularly summoned to the young categories of the Mannschaft.
