Monaco’s Rising Star Ben Seghir Reveals Childhood Love for Barcelona

"On my first trip in my life, we went to Spain, to Barcelona. I was very happy. We visited the Camp Nou, the training center, and I stood in front doing "dabs" while my brother filmed me," Ben Seghir confided in an interview with Onze Mondial.

The young winger said that all his football references are Barça players. "In football, my example would be Neymar. I really like his freedom, his style of play. All the young people love Neymar and recognize themselves in him. He is the idol of many young people. There is also Messi. What he does on the pitch is incredible. He has the ability to eliminate an entire team and score a goal. Not everyone can do that. I’ve also always appreciated Ousmane Dembélé for his way of thinking. He doesn’t worry, he has fun. I like that mentality."

Ben Seghir’s destiny seems linked to Barça. The young player made his Champions League debut against the Barcelona club (2-1) this season and has a good memory of it. "It’s a dream come true. All football fans who have watched this competition on television have dreamed of participating in it, of listening to the music when the players enter, it’s incredible. It’s the pinnacle of football at the European level, everyone is watching you, it’s the most anticipated competition [...] We beat Barça, it’s a memory [...] a very nice moment, a great victory..."

Born in Saint-Tropez, the 19-year-old Moroccan international is having a good season with Monaco, the club he has signed with until 2027. The Atlas Lion has already scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists in 28 matches with the Principality club. With the Moroccan national team, he has already scored 3 goals in 8 appearances. According to Transfermarkt, his market value is 30 million euros.