What happened to Anwar El Ghazi?

Last Updated on 19 February 2026

Anwar El Ghazi’s career once followed the familiar script of a modern winger on the rise. Ajax pedigree, Premier League moments, and a reputation for clutch goals on big days. For a while, his trajectory pointed upward, built on talent and timely impact.

But football careers rarely unfold in straight lines. Moves that promised renewal instead blurred his momentum, and the spotlight around him began to shift from performances to decisions that reached far beyond the pitch.

Today, El Ghazi’s story sits at the intersection of football and conviction, a journey that has carried him from European nights and Aston Villa roars to courtrooms, controversy, and ultimately a quieter chapter in Qatar.

Anwar El Ghazi, the wonderkid who arrived in the Premier League with a reputation

Anwar El Ghazi emerged from the famed Ajax Youth Academy as one of Europe’s most exciting young wide forwards, combining direct dribbling with a striker’s instinct for decisive goals.

He broke into Ajax’s first team in 2014 and quickly made headlines by scoring in the Champions League at the Camp Nou against FC Barcelona. It was a massive moment for the youngster and earned him a reputation that would take him places.

El Ghazi had spells in France with Lille and back in the Netherlands. But his defining rise came in England with Aston Villa. Initially a loanee in 2018, he etched himself into club folklore by scoring in the 2019 Championship play-off final that returned Villa to the Premier League.

He followed it with late winners, derby goals, and an 11-goal top-flight season in 2020-21, establishing himself as a big-moment attacker.

Loans to Everton and a stint at PSV Eindhoven suggested a player searching for rhythm, before a 2023 move to Germany with Mainz 05 offered a fresh reset.

Anwar El Ghazi’s career-changing stance at Mainz 05

At Mainz, El Ghazi’s ‘reset’ only lasted a few weeks. After posting messages supporting Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, Mainz suspended and then terminated El Ghazi’s contract, calling his statements unacceptable.

The winger refused to retract them, insisting that some issues outweighed professional risk, and publicly declared he would stand by his words even if it cost him his livelihood. Mohamed Salah of Liverpool suffered scrutiny, too, for a similar stance.

As a result, the dispute escalated into a high-profile legal battle in Germany. It was one that ultimately moved beyond football into questions of expression and employment rights. By July 2024, El Ghazi had finally won as a German court ruled in his favour.

Mainz were ordered to pay €1.5 million in wages to El Ghazi, with the former Ajax star pledging a significant portion of the settlement to children’s projects in Gaza. This framed his stance not as a fall from grace rather a matter of principle.

Where is Anwar El Ghazi now?

After his legal battle with Mainz, El Ghazi was offered a route back to football at Cardiff City in the Championship. He signed a one-year contract playing 25 games for the Bluebirds, scoring a few times.

El Ghazi’s identity has long been anchored in loyalty, especially to former Ajax teammate Abdelhak Nouri, whose 2017 on-field collapse left a lasting imprint. El Ghazi has repeatedly honoured Nouri by wearing number 34 and dedicating goals.

Soon after his stint at Cardiff, El Ghazi secured a move to Qatari club Al Sailiya, moving to a quieter league and far from the storms that once engulfed him.