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Naim Beneddra

Naim Beneddra

French and European football correspondent

📝 Bio: Editor at GOAL for nearly twenty years, living to the rhythm of both football and writing. Passionate about English football and a keen connoisseur of African football, with a particular affection for Algeria’s Fennecs, of course. Also keeping a close eye on Russian football, linked to my roots. A Liverpool FC fan since the days of Finnan, Biscan, and Djimi Traoré, following the Reds’ journey long before their return to the top. Today, fortunate to lead GOAL’s French edition—a role combining expertise, passion, and editorial rigor.

⚽ My Football Story: My football awakening dates back to June 1990, with Omam-Biyik’s famous header against Argentina. Since then, my journey as a football enthusiast has taken me from Panini albums to the pages of GOAL, with an enduring obsession for telling the story of football. Before Gerrard, my idol was Pierre Littbarski, with his bent legs and genius on the ball.

🎯 Areas of Expertise:

  • Premier League and English football (analysis, culture, and history)
  • French football and international context
  • African football and the Algerian national team
  • Russian football and the international context
  • Major international competitions (World Cups, Euros, AFCON)

🌟 Favorite Football Moment:

Anthar Yahia’s missile against Egypt in Omdurman in 2009, a suspended moment that secured Algeria’s ticket to the World Cup.

📚 Favorite Articles:

  • Portrait of Virgil Van Dijk during his early days at Liverpool
  • The touching story and testimony of Ivan Klasnic
  • Account of Greece’s triumph at Euro 2004, featuring Karagounis and Nikopolidis
Articles by Naim Beneddra
  1. France Legacy GFXGetty/GOAL
    LegacyWorld Cup

    LEGACY: How France learned resilience at the World Cup

    This is Legacy, GOAL’s feature and podcast series to mark the countdown to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. This week, we revisit one of international football’s most dramatic sagas: the rise, fall, and rebirth of Les Bleus. From Zinedine Zidane's headbutt in Berlin to Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick in Doha, France’s World Cup journey between 2006 and 2022 is a tale of collapse and resurrection; the story of a nation that turned shame into strength, and forged an identity where resilience became its greatest art.

  2. GFX Icons ZidaneGOAL
    IconsWorld Cup

    ICONS: Zidane - the troubled rise of a football genius

    From humiliation to redemption, from doubt to eternal glory - this is the story of how Zinedine Zidane rose from the shadows to lead France to their greatest triumph. At the 1998 World Cup, the shy playmaker from Marseille became the face of a new nation, turning pain into pride and silence into legend. This is ICONS - a GOAL podcast and feature series that revisits the last 10 World Cups from unique perspectives, bringing the spirit of the tournament back to life...

  3. France 1998 GFXGOAL
    LegacyWorld Cup

    LEGACY: France '98 - The birth of a legend

    This is Legacy, GOAL’s podcast and feature series tracking the countdown to the 2026 World Cup. Each week, we explore the stories and the spirit behind the nations that define the world’s game. Today we look back at France '98; from the heartbreaks of Seville and Bulgaria to the night Zinedine Zidane lifted the trophy in Paris, this is the story of how France broke its curse and forged a winning identity that still defines Les Bleus today.

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