Islam Slimani

Lore & Background

Slimani began his career in his homeland with JSM Chéraga and CR Belouizdad. In 2013, he moved to Europe, signing for Sporting CP. He played and scored regularly during his three seasons in Portugal, helping his team win the Taça de Portugal in 2015. In 2016, Slimani was transferred to Leicester City for a club record £28 million fee. After a season and a half in the Leicester squad, he was sent on successive loans to Newcastle United, Fenerbahçe, and Monaco. In 2021, Slimani joined Lyon. One year later, he briefly returned to Sporting CP, leaving after six months. Slimani then went on to join Brest, Anderlecht, Coritiba, and Mechelen in short stints. He returned to Algeria with CR Belouizdad in 2024 and went on loan to Westerlo in 2025.

In Their Own Story

The King Power was shaking. Ninety-third minute. The ball swung in from the left—a long, looping cross that hung in the cold February air for what felt like an eternity. Slimani timed his run, shouldered past a centre-back who was a full head shorter, and met the ball with the side of his head. The net rippled. The away end went quiet. The home end erupted into that particular Leicester roar—the one that starts as a rumble in the lower tier and builds until the roof feels like it's lifting off the stadium. He spun, arms wide, and pointed at the corner flag where the away manager was already walking back to the bench. The physio was jogging toward the touchline. The season was still long, but in that moment, the King Power belonged to the Algerian giant and the faithful who had carried him there.

Reader's Guide

Slimani made his Leicester City debut on 14 September 2016 in the UEFA Champions League, playing 62 minutes in a 3–0 victory over Club Brugge. His first goals for Leicester came on 17 September 2016 in a 3–0 Premier League win over Burnley, where he scored his side's first two goals. He scored four of his five league goals from headers in the 2016–17 season. After his participation in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, he returned injured, which affected the rest of his season. He was loaned to Newcastle United in January 2018, then to Fenerbahçe in August 2018, and to Monaco in August 2019.

Did You Know?

• Slimani is the all-time top goalscorer for the Algeria national team with 46 goals as of December 2025.
• He scored his first hat-trick in the Portuguese league against Vitória de Guimarães in the 2015–16 season.
• Slimani scored 27 league goals in the 2015–16 season for Sporting CP, finishing as runner-up for the top scorer award.
• He won the Algerian Golden Ball in December 2013.