Farès Chaïbi: Who is Eintracht Frankfurt's Algeria international?
Farès Chaïbi is catching fire at Eintracht Frankfurt with a strong start to his third season in Germany – we take a closer look at the versatile and creative Algeria international.
Age: 22 (born 28 November 2002)
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: Attacking midfielder
Country: Algeria (22 caps, two goals)
Key stats
“Personally, I wasn’t very happy with my season,” said Chaïbi after the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign, his second since the move to Germany from French side Toulouse in summer 2023.
In 26 league appearances, he made just ten starts and contributed a single goal with three assists. “I want to play a lot and up until now, I’ve not had to sit on the bench much in my career,” he said this summer. “I want to give my all to reclaim a key role in the team.”
Watch: Chaïbi pulls the strings as Frankfurt hit six in Mönchengladbach
He had made 21 starts in 28 Bundesliga games in 2023/24 with two goals and six assists, the same return he had from seven promising UEFA Conference League matches that season.
He had scored his first Bundesliga goal in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Borussia Dortmund, and helped rip Bayern Munich to shreds with two assists in a statement 5-1 win. He was not able to immediately build on those performances, but it does seem to be third season lucky for Chaïbi.
Perhaps luck does not come into it, though. Praised for his “body language and hard work” by coach Dino Toppmöller during Frankfurt’s pre-season training camp in the United States, Chaïbi was handed a starting role in all competitions and struck a rich vein of form to lead the Bundesliga assists chart early in the 2025/26 campaign.
Having worked his way up to the first team to make his senior debut in August 2022, it was five goals and as many assists in 36 Ligue 1 appearances for Toulouse – and three goals and two assists as the French club won the 2022/23 Coupe de France – that convinced Frankfurt to offer the then-teenaged Chaïbi a five-year deal.
He had joined the Toulouse academy only four years earlier, having somehow escaped the usually watchful eye of Olympique Lyonnais while playing in Bron, close to Lyon.
From the same suburb of the French city as Karim Benzema, Chaïbi shares the Algerian family heritage of the former Real Madrid and France forward. But while Benzema opted to represent the country of his birth, the Frankfurt man answered the call of then-Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi.
He made his debut in March 2023 and scored his first goal in a 1-0 friendly triumph against Senegal seven months later. Next year, he is likely to be a key part of the Fennecs squad that will head to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
That choice also means Frankfurt will have to do without him as Algeria play at the Africa Cup of Nations over the 2025 festive period, but the Eagles and their fans can be assured that when he returns, Chaïbi’s determination to impress them will be undiminished.
“I have great ambitions and I’ll give the best of myself, but I’m not going to focus on the number of goals or assists,” he explained earlier in the season. “I simply want to try and have the best possible season. We all want to make our fans proud.”
Plays a bit like: David Alaba
Many fans will know Alaba as a defender from his Bayern days, but the 15 goals and 22 assists he has for Austria tell the story of a ultra-talented player who could – and has – played virtually every position on the pitch.
Frequently used in midfield and even in an attacking midfield role by his country, Alaba’s versatility was matched by his ability, and Chaïbi has shown similar traits. Played as a winger in 2024/25, he was unable to produce his best football, but now slotted into a central midfield role as a number 8 or 10 by Toppmöller, he has thrived.
He has even impressed in a double pivot alongside more defensive-minded teammates, such as Ellyes Skhiri, to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Larbi, a renowned Algerian midfielder.
“I had already played in that position at Toulouse, but more as a number 8 or 10 rather than a 6. I prefer playing a little higher up the pitch because it means I get more touches of the ball,” he explained.
“I feel more comfortable out on the pitch when I’m in the middle, and the coach is doing a lot to get me into a situation where I can help the team in the best way possible.”
Did you know?
Chaïbi’s elder brother, Ilyes, is also a professional footballer, currently playing for Rotkreuz in the Swiss fifth division.
What they’re saying
“We have to talk about the pass – it was world-class from Farès, playing the ball over the defender and right into my path.” - Jonathan Burkardt after scoring from a Chaibi assist in October 2025
“He’s an exceptional guy, a hard-worker and valuable for the squad. We want to find a central position for Farès, whether it’s as a 6, 8 or 10” - Toppmöller before the 2025/26 season
“I could have spent another year with Toulouse, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. Moving to the Bundesliga is an interesting step.” - Chaïbi at his Eintracht unveiling in August 2023
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