World Cup stars of the Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini
Borussia Dortmund’s versatile defender will be hoping to make FIFA World Cup history this summer by helping his native Algeria become the first African team to win the tournament.
Name: Ramy Bensebaini
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Nation: Algeria
International debut: 7 January 2017
Caps: 81
International goals: 7
Stats correct as of 30 April 2026
How was his 2025/26 season?
Although Bensebaini made fewer appearances than usual due to a mixture of injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations, the 31-year-old once again proved a reliable option in Dortmund’s back three.
In addition to his defensive ability, Bensebaini has also shown a real eye for goal, scoring seven times across all competitions despite playing at centre-back. Part of the reason for that is his reliability from the penalty spot, scoring two from two in the Bundesliga this season. Both of those goals came in Dortmund’s dramatic comeback win against Hamburg, where Bensebaini’s introduction from the bench proved decisive.
Watch: Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Hamburg
What he brings to the national team
Bensebaini has a number of talents, but perhaps most useful to Algeria is his ability to play multiple positions. Throughout his career, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man has played a mixture of both centre-back and left-back, and that too is the case for Algeria.
His experience is also very beneficial to his country, having gathered 81 caps, and although he hasn’t yet featured at a World Cup, he has been a regular at five AFCON tournaments, even winning the competition in 2019.
What his coaches say
"He's a truly great person and footballer, technically one of the strongest we have in this team." - Dortmund head coach Niko Kovač
"Ramy has exemplary behaviour with the national team. He hasn’t received many yellow cards, and for a defender it’s normal to pick up a few. He is very important for our team.” - Algeria head coach Vladimir Petković
