Karim Bellarabi

Lore & Background

Bellarabi was born in West Berlin to a Moroccan father and a German mother. He grew up in Bremen, where he played youth football for FC Huchting, Werder Bremen, and FC Oberneuland. He joined the under-19 side of Eintracht Braunschweig in 2008, made his senior debut during the 2008–09 season, and became a regular starter in the 2010–11 3. Liga season. After that season, he left Braunschweig for Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Due to injury, he missed most of the 2012–13 Bundesliga season. In 2013, he returned to Eintracht Braunschweig on a one-year loan. He returned to Leverkusen at the start of the 2014–15 season. On 23 August 2014, he scored the fastest goal in Bundesliga history, in 9 seconds, on the opening match of the 2014–15 season away to Borussia Dortmund, leading to a 0–2 win. On 17 February 2017, he scored the 50,000th goal in Bundesliga history. In July 2018, he collapsed in a pre-season friendly. On 13 August 2020, he extended his stay at the BayArena until 2023. By the end of his career, he had scored 37 goals in 241 German top-flight matches. He played youth international football for Germany under-20 and under-21 teams, was called up by the senior team in October 2014, made his senior debut on 11 October 2014 in a 2–0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying win away to Poland, and scored his first international goal on 13 June 2015 in a 7–0 win against Gibraltar. He won 11 caps in total.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the BayArena was thick with anticipation as the final whistle approached. Karim Bellarabi stood near the halfway line, breathing heavily, his jersey stained with the grass and sweat of ninety minutes of relentless pressing. He didn't need to be told what to do; he simply pointed, directing a teammate into space with a gesture that had become second nature over years of partnership. As the crowd began their rhythmic chant, he looked toward the stands, not with the arrogance of a scorer, but with the quiet gratitude of a servant who had given everything for the red and black crest.

Reader's Guide

Bellarabi was a winger known for his pace and direct style. He is most famous for scoring the fastest goal in Bundesliga history (9 seconds) and the 50,000th goal in Bundesliga history. He spent the majority of his professional career at Bayer Leverkusen, though he also played for Eintracht Braunschweig before and on loan. He was not a captain for Leverkusen.

Did You Know?

• Bellarabi scored the fastest goal in Bundesliga history, just 9 seconds into a match against Borussia Dortmund on 23 August 2014.
• He scored the 50,000th goal in Bundesliga history on 17 February 2017.
• Bellarabi collapsed during a pre-season friendly in July 2018.
• He earned 11 caps for the German senior national team.