Vietnamese-blooded player shines brightly in Europe

Ibrahim Maza, a football star of Vietnamese blood, continues his rise in Europe's top football leagues.

Ibrahim Maza continuously receives awards for best player in Europe - Photo: UEFA

10 points - that's the score that Sofascore, a prestigious European football website, gave Ibrahim Maza in Leverkusen's big win in round 10 of the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen beat Heidenheim 6-0 in this match, and Maza - playing in the central midfield position - was the best player of the match.

This player of Vietnamese blood scored 2 goals and completely dominated the midfield in Leverkusen's 3-4-2-1 formation.

A perfect score of 10 is very rare in top-level football. For example, striker Patrick Schick, who also scored two goals in this match, was only given an 8.

Maza not only scored, he also played a big role in regulating the game, intercepting, opening the ball for his teammates and winning 8/9 confrontations. A perfect performance according to "Messi standards".

This is not the first time Maza has been named Man of the Match. He was awarded the title in the Champions League in midweek for Leverkusen's 1-0 win over Benfica.

Ibrahim Maza has been a mainstay of Leverkusen - Photo: REUTERS

Maza did not directly contribute to the goal in this match, and even received a yellow card. But he still received high marks for his ability to control the midfield.

So far this season, Maza has made 14 appearances for Leverkusen, becoming a mainstay of the team.

Maza's journey in Europe has been very attractive to the European media. German newspaper Kicker once described Maza as "a typical modern football star", born to an Algerian father, a Vietnamese mother and raised in Germany.

A month ago, Maza received much praise for helping Algeria qualify for the 2026 World Cup. At the age of 19, the Vietnamese-origin player is seen as having great potential to join the world's top superstars.

Maza's move to Leverkusen this summer was a significant step in his career. The German runners-up are known for nurturing young talent, especially those with a strong technical ability.

Ibrahim Maza was born in November 2005 in Berlin, Germany, to an Algerian father and a Vietnamese mother.

Maza grew up in Germany and speaks fluent German and French. He received his early football training from the youth system of Hertha BSC.

He was a member of the German U17 and U18 teams, before making the big decision: choosing to play for the Algerian national team at the international level. This decision was confirmed by the Algerian Football Federation itself in early 2024, after Maza completed the procedure of changing federations according to FIFA regulations.

According to the transfer valuation site Transfermarkt (updated October 2025), Maza's value is at 12 million euros, equivalent to more than 300 billion VND.

This is an unprecedented high price for a player of Vietnamese origin, far surpassing the previous prominent Vietnamese-American names. He is considered to have the potential to become a long-term mainstay of the Algerian national team, and is closely watched by many big clubs in Europe.

Maza's Vietnamese blood originates from his mother who was born in South Vietnam before settling in Germany.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cau-thu-mang-dong-mau-viet-toa-sang-ruc-ro-tai-chau-au-20251109191534474.htm