As the 2016-2017 football season concluded in different European premier leagues, the names of several Muslim players popped up as important assets for their teams during the season.

Here follows a number of Muslim players participating in winning teams in different European football leagues.

Spanish La Liga’s Champions: Real Madrid:

Karim Benzema:

A 29-year-old Algerian striker of French nationality. The Muslim Forward plays for the Spanish club Real Madrid and France national team. While playing for the French club Olympique Lyonnais in 2008, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Player of the Year and was also named in the organization’s Team of the Year. In the same year, Benzema was also the league’s top scorer and given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo. After transferring to Real Madrid, Benzema was named the French Player of the Year three times for his performance in 2011, 2012 and 2014. The player who descends from Tigzirt village achieved several trophies, he won four French leagues, one French Cup, two French Super Cups, two Spanish leagues, two Spanish Cups, one Spanish Super Cup, two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups, as well as a European trophy with the French national team Under-17 years old. On individual scale, he was awarded the Étoile d’Or in season 2007–08 and is known for scoring the fastest goal in an El Clásico just after 21 seconds.

English Premier League’s Champions: Chelsea:

Asmir Begović:

A Bosnian goalkeeper who plays for the English club Chelsea and the Bosnian national team, for which he is the vice-captain. The 29-year old Muslim, who has dual Bosnian and Canadian citizenships, won Stoke City club’s Player of the Year award in 2012–13 season. Begović has been voted the 2012 Bosnian Footballer of the Year by the Bosnian Sport Writers’ Jury. In 2013, Begović became the 5th goalkeeper ever to score a goal in the English Premier League, scoring from 97.5 yards after 13 seconds only, also getting the World Record for ‘longest goal scored in football.’ In the same year, he set up his own charity, Asmir Begović Foundation. After succeeding in establishing himself as number one goalkeeper of the Bosnian national team, he helped the country to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Muslim country’s first ever major tournament.

Kurt Zouma:

A 22-year-old Muslim defender from the Central African Republic. Zouma plays as a center-back for English club Chelsea and the French national team. He won one French Cup with Saint-Étienne club, two English Premier Leagues, one English Football League Cup, one World Cup Under 20 years old with France and he was chosen as Chelsea’s Young Player of the Year in 2015.

Fankaty Dabo:

A 21-year-old Muslim defender from Sierra Leone, he started his football career in 2007 with Chelsea’s under 12 years old team. Last year, he was promoted to Chelsea senior side. Because of his English nationality, he has represented England at under-16, under-17 and under-20 youth levels.

Mukhtar Ali:

A 19-year-old Somali Muslim midfielder who plays for the English side Chelsea. He is a youth international for England because of his English citizenship. He won three English FA Youth Cups and one UEFA Youth League in 2015–16.

Islam Feruz:

A 21-year-old Somali Muslim center Forward who plays for Chelsea and Scotland national team. Because of his dual Tanzanian and Scottish citizenships, Feruz is also eligible to play for Tanzania which he wished to play for in 2012 and 2013 during the qualifiers of the African Cup of Nations. In 2010, Feruz was awarded the Young Scot Award. The prize annually recognizes youngsters between the ages of 12 and 22 who have contributed positively to communities in Scotland.

N’Golo Kanté

A 26-year-old French professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for English club Chelsea and the France national team. He made his senior debut at Boulogne and then spent two seasons at Caen, the latter in Ligue 1.

Italian Calcio’s Champions: Juventus:

Medhi Benatia:

A 30-year-old Moroccan Algerian center-back Muslim defender. Benatia plays for the Italian club Juventus and Morocco national team. He helped AS Roma club in 2013–14 to be the Italian Serie A league runners-up. Benatia also won two German Bundesliga, one German Cup, one Italian league, and one Italian Cup. On individual scale, he was named in the 2013 CAF Team of the Year, European Sports Media’s European Team of the Season 2013–14, and also named in the Serie A Team of the Year 2013–14.

Miralem Pjanić:

A Bosnian midfielder who plays for the Italian club Juventus and the Bosnian national team. The 27-year old Muslim player Although he represented Luxembourg as a youth international, Pjanić represented his homeland Bosnia at her first major tournament, the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2015, he was ranked 55th in The Guardian’s list of “The 100 best footballers in the world”. Along with his native Bosnian language, Pjanić is fluent in other five languages: Luxembourgish, French, English, German and Italian. The talented footballer is also enrolled at the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia; majoring in sport and physical education. Pjanić won one French Ligue 2, one Italian Serie A league and one Italian Cup. On individual level, he won the Serie A Top Assist Provider twice in 2015 and 2016, and was named in the Serie A Team of the Year 2015–16.

Sami Khedira:

A Tunisian German center midfielder who plays for the Italian club Juventus and for his mother’s side the German national team. The 30-year old Muslim footballer won one German Bundesliga, one UEFA Champions League, one FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one Spanish La Liga, two Spanish Cup, one Spanish Super Cup, two Italian Serie A leagues, two Italian Cups, one World Cup, and one UEFA under 21 years old Championship. On individual, Khedira was awarded the German Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg in 2016 and was named in the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament in 2012.

German Bundesliga’s Champions: Bayern Munich:

Franck Ribéry:

A French Muslim winger midfielder who plays for the German club Bayern Munich and France national team. Ribéry achieved four doubles and one treble which allowed him to be nominated alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the three-man shortlist for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or award. Ribéry is a three-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and the German Footballer of the Year becoming the first player to hold both honors. He has also been named the Young Player of the Year in France. In 2013, Ribéry won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. And in 2013, he was also ranked 4th in The Guardian’s list of the best players in the world. The Muslim convert won one Turkish Cup, one UEFA Intertoto Cup, seven German Bundesliga titles, five German Cups, one German League Cup, three German Super Cups, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. He became a World Cup runner-up with France as well. Individually, he was named the French Ligue 1 Player of the Month four times. In 2006, he was awarded for the French Ligue 1 Goal of the Year and was included in the French Ligue 1 Team of the Year. He also won 2006’s Etoile d’Or and two Onze de Bronze. He was named twice in the ESM Team of the Year, twice in the UEFA Team of the Year, and the UEFA Super Cup Man of the match. He was included five times in the kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season, and won the Bundesliga top assist twice, as well as the Bundesliga Player of the Year in 2013. In the same year, he was named the kicker Man of the Year, the Globe Soccer Best Footballer of the Year, Most Valuable Player of the Final, and was awarded the FIFA FIFPro World XI and the FIFA Club World Cup’s Golden Ball.

French Ligue 1 Champions: Monaco:

Nabil Dirar:

He’s a 31-year old Muslim Moroccan left-wing midfielder with a dual Belgian nationality. He plays for the club AS Monaco and the Moroccan national team. He also won one French Ligue 2.

Tiemoué Bakayoko:

He’s a 22-year old Ivorian Muslim defensive midfielder. He plays for AS Monaco club and the French national team. He was eligible with his French citizenship to play in the French national teams U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, and the senior squad.

Djibril Sidibé:

He’s a 24-year old Senegalese Muslim defender. He plays for AS Monaco club and the French national team. And in this season, he was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year.

Kylian Mbappé:

He’s an 18-year old Cameroonian Algerian Striker. He plays for AS Monaco club and the French national team. This season he was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year, included in the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year, and was chosen as the UNFP Player of the Month last April. He won the European Championship under 19 years old with France.

Seydou Sy:

He’s 21-year old Senegalese Muslim goalkeeper. He plays for the Monacan club AS Monaco which plays in the French football league system. In 2014, he started to play for Monaco B team but last year he was promoted to play in Monaco’s senior team.

Abdou Diallo:

He’s a 21-year old Senegalese Muslim defender with French nationality. He plays for the Monacan club AS Monaco which plays in the French football league system. He played for the French national teams U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20 and U-21.

Almamy Touré:

He’s a 21-year old Malian Muslim defender. He plays for the Monacan club AS Monaco which plays in the French football league system. He started his career in 2010 in Monaco youth squad then was promoted to Monaco B team in 2011, before he was promoted to play in Monaco senior team starting from 2015.

Safwan Mbaé:

He’s a 20-year old Comorian Muslim defender. He plays for the Monacan club AS Monaco which plays in the French football league system. Last year he played for Monaco B team then he was promoted to play in Monaco senior team earlier this year.

Dutch Eredivisie’s Champions: Feyenoord

Karim El Ahmadi:

He’s a 32-year Moroccan defensive midfielder with both Moroccan and Dutch nationalities. The Muslim footballer plays for the Dutch club Feyenoord and the Moroccan national team. He won one Dutch Cup.

Bilal Başaçıkoğlu:

He’s a 22-year old Turkish Moroccan winger midfielder. He plays for the Dutch club Feyenoord and for his father’s side the Turkish national team. The Muslim footballer won one Dutch Cup.

Mohamed El Hankouri:

He’s a 19-year old Moroccan attacking midfielder. The Muslim athlete plays for the Dutch club Feyenoord and the Moroccan national team, but because of his Dutch citizenship he played for the Netherlands national team under 20 years old.