| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (2006-03-03) 3 March 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Vilvoorde, Belgium[1] | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ajax | ||
| Number | 43 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| KFC Vilvoorde | |||
| OH Leuven | |||
| –2022 | Anderlecht | ||
| 2022–2024 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Jong Ajax | 28 | (8) |
| 2025– | Ajax | 9 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021–2022 | Belgium U16 | 16 | (4) |
| 2022–2023 | Belgium U17 | 7 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Belgium U18 | 6 | (3) |
| 2024–2025 | Belgium U19 | 10 | (2) |
| 2025– | Belgium U21 | 2 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 19 November 2025 | |||
Rayane Bounida (born 3 March 2006) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Eredivisie club Ajax.[1]
Regarded as a child prodigy, Bounida garnered significant media attention from a young age. By his 16th birthday, he had secured a sponsorship contract with Nike and amassed a significant social media following.[2]
Club career
Early career
Bounida progressed through the youth academy of Anderlecht. During his time there, he was frequently featured in international media as a highly rated prospect.[3][4][5] Attracting interest from major European clubs such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain,[6] it was announced on his sixteenth birthday that he would sign a professional contract with Ajax. The deal reportedly included an annual salary of €700,000.[2][7]
Ajax
2024–25 season
On 9 December 2024, Bounida made his senior debut for Ajax's reserve team, Jong Ajax, in an Eerste Divisie match against De Graafschap. He entered as an 86th-minute substitute and scored in stoppage time to secure a 2–0 victory.[8]
Bounida's progress was rewarded on 15 February 2025 with a contract extension, binding him to the club until June 2028 with an option for an additional year.[9] Just one day later, on 16 February 2025, he made his first-team debut for Ajax in a 4–0 Eredivisie victory over Heracles Almelo, coming off the bench in the second half. He finished the campaign with 19 appearances and 6 goals for Jong Ajax, alongside his single senior outing.
2025–26 season
Ahead of the 2025–26 season, Bounida was promoted to the first-team squad. He made his UEFA Champions League debut on 25 November 2025, starting in a group stage match against Benfica. While continuing to gain minutes in the Eredivisie, he scored his first goal for the senior team on 17 December 2025 in a KNVB Cup match against Excelsior Maassluis. During the match, he recorded a goal and four assists—two of which were for fellow Belgian Jorthy Mokio—helping Ajax to a 7–2 victory.[10]
International career
Born in Belgium, Bounida is of Moroccan descent.[11] He is a youth international for Belgium, having represented the nation at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19, and under-21 levels.[12]
Career statistics
- As of 11 January 2026
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Jong Ajax | 2024–25 | Eerste Divisie | 19 | 6 | — | — | — | 19 | 6 | |||
| 2025–26 | Eerste Divisie | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 28 | 8 | — | — | — | 28 | 8 | |||||
| Ajax | 2024–25 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | Eredivisie | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2[a] | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| Total | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 37 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 9 | ||
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
Notes
- ^ a b Rayane Bounida at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b "De (feest)dag die iedereen bij Anderlecht vreesde: het verlies van "uniek talent" Rayane Bounida" (in Dutch). Sporza.be. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ "The Wonderful Talent of 9-Year Old Moroccan Prodigy Rayane Bounida". Moroccoworldnews.com. 6 September 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ "Toptalentje (13) Anderlecht nu al wereldberoemd, net als Shane en Xavi". RTL Nieuws. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ Chenevas-Paule, Loïc (11 November 2015). "Découvrez Rayane Bounida, la nouvelle pépite d'Anderlecht" (in French). TF1. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ Doering, Christian (3 March 2022). "Super-Talent (16) forderte 700.000 Euro pro Jahr" (in German). Sportbild. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ Franken, Christophe (2 March 2022). "Rayane Bounida, l'enfant de 48 kilos qui demandait 700 000 € par an, va fêter ses 16 ans et signera à l'Ajax en fin de saison" (in French). La Dernière Heure. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ "Jong Ajax v De Graafschap game report". Soccerway. 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Contract extension Rayane Bounida". AFC Ajax. 15 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "De grote Rayane Bounida-show: met doelpunt en 4 assists (waarvan 2 op Mokio) loodst hij Ajax naar volgende ronde" (in Dutch). Sporza. 17 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "The Wonderful Talent of 9-Year Old Moroccan Prodigy Rayane Bounida". 6 September 2015.
- ^ "RAYANE BOUNIDA" (in French). Royal Belgian Football Association. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
