Youssef Msakni (; born 28 October 1990) is a Tunisian former professional footballer who played as a winger or forward.
Msakni has played over 100 matches and scored 23 goals for Tunisia.
Club career Espérance de Tunis Having spent his youth career at Stade Tunisien, Msakni moved to Espérance de Tunis in July 2008.
He played his first game with ES Tunis on 26 July 2009, on the first day of the 2009–10 season, against Olympique Béja. He entered the field in the 79th minute of play in replacement of Henri Bienvenu. Two weeks later, on 8 August, Msakni scored his first league goal in his third game against AS Kasserine in the 54th minute of play of a 4–0 win.
On 12 November 2011, he won the CAF Champions League, finishing second in the competition with five goals, just behind Wydad AC striker Fabrice Ondama, who scored six goals.
On 30 September 2012, he won the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 for the fourth time, winning the title of best scorer in the Tunisian football championship with 17 goals. According to Goal.com, Msakni was the 48th best footballer of the 2012 season in all countries, thanks in particular to the performances he realized under the colors of his club or the national team. During the transfer period, he was courted by many French clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Lille OSC, AS Monaco and FC Lorient, but on 3 July 2012 the attacking midfielder signed on a four-year contract with Qatari Stars League club Lekhwiya SC, but he joined the club on 1 January 2013.Mohamad Mosselhi (3 July 2012) Tunisia forward Msakni joins Qatar's Lekhwiya for Arab record sum. Ahram Online
Lekhwiya and Al Duhail On 1 January 2013, Msakni became a player of Qatari club Lekhwiya SC for a period of four and a half years; the total amount of the transfer was 23 million dinars (€11.5 million), a record for an African player.
On 10 February, he scored his first goal in the 28th minute, with his team winning 4–0 against Al-Wakrah SC. On 26 February, Msakni proved decisive in the AFC Champions League with a free-kick in the 33rd minute, allowing his team to win 2–1. In March 2013, Msakni was reportedly coveted by four English clubs: Newcastle United, Arsenal, Everton, and Tottenham. This growing interest pushed the Qatari club leaders to review the player's release clause by increasing his price. On 4 May, he won the 2013 Qatar Crown Prince Cup against the Al Sadd after scoring his team's third goal in a 3–2 win.
A complicated start to the 2013–14 season, during which he scored 7 goals in 12 league games, the Qatari media linked him with a departure to Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.
The start of the Asian campaign begins on 8 February 2014 for Msakni and his teammates: they opposed the Bahraini team Hidd SCC in the second round of the 2014 AFC Champions League; they won the match 2–1, including a decisive pass from the Tunisian striker. A week later, Lekhwiya SC competed in the third preliminary round of the same competition against Kuwaiti club Kuwait SC, where two of his teammates in Tunisia, Issam Jemâa and Chadi Hammami, played. Msakni scored a goal and delivered two assists.
After the team changed its name from Lekhwiya to Al Duhail, he received offers from Olympique de Marseille and teams playing in La Liga, but he preferred to stay in Qatar and play in Europe after 2018 FIFA World Cup.
On 8 April 2018, it was reported that Msakni would miss this summer's World Cup in Russia after being ruled out for six months because of a knee injury.
Msakni was linked with a move to Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion in December 2018. In January 2019, he moved on loan to Belgian First Division A side K.A.S. Eupen.
Return to Espérance de Tunis In November 2025, Msakni returned to Espérance de Tunis after nearly 13 years of his departure following the injury of Youcef Belaïli.
International career CAN 2010 On 14 December 2009, he received his first call-up to the Tunisia national team from coach Faouzi Benzarti for a friendly against Gambia in preparation for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. On 9 January 2010, at Stade El Menzah. He entered the field in the 35th minute following Oussama Darragi's injury. Msakni played his first Africa Cup of Nations at only 19 years old and held a place in the Benzarti squad. In the first match, against Zambia, he delivered a decisive pass to Zouheir Dhaouadi, offering him the goal of the equalizer. He was one of the players in the match against Gabon, and was replaced in the 67th minute by Chaouki Ben Saada. However, he did not participate in the elimination of his team against Cameroon.
CHAN 2011 On 25 February 2011, he won the 2011 CHAN with Tunisia on a 3–0 victory over Angola; he scored a single goal during this competition, against Angola but this time in the group stage.
CAN 2012 In the first game against Morocco, he scored in the 75th minute of play by eliminating two opponents, dribbling them one after the other before striking a cross hit of the right, which allowed Tunisia to win the match 2–1. In the second game against Niger, he opened the score in the fourth minute of play by passing through three opponents before entering the surface and scoring right; Tunisia took a 2–1 lead and qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. The third match was difficult for Tunisia and lost 0–1 against Gabon. The quarter-finals between Tunisia and Ghana when Tunisia was eliminated from the competition.
CAN 2013 Following a difficult qualification at 2013 Africa Cup of Nations against Sierra Leone, Msakni was a part of the group in South Africa. On 22 January, in the first match of Group D against Algeria, he scored in the 90th minute by undoing a 25-meter rolled strike that is lodged in the goal of Raïs M'Bolhi, allowing Tunisians to win the match 1–0). He e was elected as the man of the match and the scorer of the most beautiful goal of the competition. Once again in the second match, Msakni and his team-mates lost 0–3 against the Ivory Coast. In the last game of group stage, Tunisia drew 1–1 with Togo and finished third in Group D.
CAN 2015 Msakni took part in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, where he played in the first match against Cape Verde replacing Wahbi Khazri in the 82nd minute. He played the full match of his team's 2–1 win against Zambia. He was a substitute at the last match in the group stage against DR Congo replacing Mohamed Ali Yacoubi in the 104th minute in extra time against Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals. Tunisia lost 1–2.
CAN 2017 Msakni played a major role in qualifying for the tournament after scoring against Togo in Monastir. He was also one of the leading players in the group stage after delivering an assist against Algeria in the 50th minute which they won 2–1 and scoring a goal against Zimbabwe in the 22nd minute of a 4–2 win. Tunisia was eliminated in the quarter-finals against Burkina Faso after losing 0–2.
2017–2019 On 7 October 2017, Msakni scored his first international hat-trick in a 4–1 away victory against Guinea during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers third round. He later captained his national team during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, scoring a penalty in a 1–1 draw against Angola in the opening match, and another goal in a 3–0 win over Madagascar in the quarter-finals.
2020–2024 On 30 December 2021, Msakni was named in the 28-man squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. On 4 January 2022, it was announced that both Msakni and Seifeddine Jaziri tested positive for COVID-19, but the Tunisian Football Federation were not allowed to replace them ahead of the tournament. Later on, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Nigeria in the round of 16.
In November 2022, he was called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. On 28 December 2023, he was included in the squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. He earned his 100th cap with the national team in the opening match of the African tournament against Namibia.
Personal life Msakni is the younger brother of fellow Tunisian international Iheb, and he is the son of former Stade Tunisien player Mondher Msakni. Mondher died on 6 February 2026.
On 4 July 2017, Msakni married the Tunisian actress and fashion model Amira Jaziri, but in 2021, the couple was separated.
Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsStade Tunisien2006–07Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 110200——1022007–08Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 118600——186Total28800——288Espérance de Tunis2007–08Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 110000—001002008–09Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 119432—1203462009–10Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 122610130003662010–11Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 12410511150040162011–12Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 12817001043041212012–13Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 110———10Total104379334915016249Al Duhail2012–13Qatar Stars League7421942120102013–14Qatar Stars League221210817138142014–15Qatar Stars League17710952229142015–16Qatar Stars League231421603132152016–17Qatar Stars League12722732023122017–18Qatar Stars League222500421026272019–20Qatar Stars League1341021412062020–21Qatar Stars League3000—0030Total1197394451621619499Eupen (loan)2018–19Belgian Pro League7100—62133Al Arabi (loan)2020–21Qatar Stars League6232—321262021–22Qatar Stars League14800—001482022–23Qatar Stars League201344—542921Total40237600865535Al Arabi2023–24Qatar Stars League19922101123122024–25Qatar Stars League8600—41127Total27152210523519Espérance de Tunis2025–26Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1200030—50Career total327156341580254616487213
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsTunisia20106020110020121032013912014302015602016212017114201800201915220204120211122022133202375202471Total10423
Scores and results list Tunisia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Msakni goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Youssef MsakniNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 23 January 2012 Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon 2–0 2–1 2012 Africa Cup of Nations2 27 January 2012 Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon 1–0 2–1 2012 Africa Cup of Nations3 8 September 2012 National Stadium, Freetown, Sierra Leone 2–2 2–2 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification4 22 January 2013 Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng, South Africa 1–0 1–0 2013 Africa Cup of Nations5 25 March 2016 Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet, Monastir, Tunisia 1–0 1–0 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification6 23 January 2017 Stade d'Angondjé, Libreville, Gabon 2–0 4–2 2017 Africa Cup of Nations7 7 October 2017 Stade du 28 Septembre, Conakry, Guinea 1–1 4–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification8 2–19 4–110 25 June 2019 Suez Stadium, Suez, Egypt 1–0 1–1 2019 Africa Cup of Nations11 11 July 2019 Al Salam Stadium, Cairo, Egypt 2–0 3–0 2019 Africa Cup of Nations12 13 November 2020 Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia 1–0 1–0 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification13 30 November 2021 Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar 5–1 5–1 2021 FIFA Arab Cup14 10 December 2021 Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar 2–1 2–1 2021 FIFA Arab Cup15 23 January 2022 Roumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua, Cameroon 1–0 1–0 2021 Africa Cup of Nations16 2 June 2022 Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia 3–0 4–0 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification17 4–018 24 March 2023 Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia 1–0 3–0 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification19 7 September 2023 Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia 2–0 3–0 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification20 3–021 17 November 2023 Stade Hammadi Agrebi, Tunis, Tunisia 2–0 4–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification22 21 November 2023 Bingu National Stadium, Lilongwe, Malawi 1–0 1–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification23 10 January 2024 Hammadi Agrebi Stadium, Tunis, Tunisia 2–0 2–0 Friendly
Honours Espérance de Tunis