Nabil Bentaleb is in the squad for the
Lille midfielder had heart attack two years ago but returned to action with defibrillator
Les Fennecs kick off their campaign in Kansas City on 16 June
The emotion was palpable both on and off the pitch when Lille stalwart Nabil Bentaleb trotted onto the turf as a second-half substitute during the Ligue 1 match in Rennes on 16 February 2025. It came after eight gruelling months on the sidelines. As if written in the stars, another ‘goosebumps’ moment followed less than five minutes later, when the midfielder pounced at the far post to slot into the net, after goalkeeper Brice Samba had parried Chuba Akpom’s header from a corner.
Bentaleb’s first goal for Les Dogues, which set his side on their way to a 2-0 triumph, was certainly not his most spectacular strike. Nevertheless, it meant the world to the midfielder after a period that had pushed him to his physical and emotional limits. Bentaleb – who was born in Lille to Algerian parents – suffered a cardiac arrest in June 2024 while playing recreationally during the off-season. Having been rushed to hospital and treated successfully, he was naturally grateful simply to be alive, but there were question marks as to whether he would ever ply his trade again.
Bentaleb had no intention of throwing in the towel, though; he showcased resilience and persistence in abundance to work his way back to fitness and form. Having been fitted with a defibrillator under his skin, Bentaleb was granted the necessary clearance to return to competitive football just three days before the trip to Rennes. He wasted no time in making his mark.
"I didn’t know I had it in me to come on and score, even though everyone on the bench had predicted I would," a beaming Bentaleb gushed after the match.
"It’s like something out of a film," then-Lille coach Bruno Genesio reflected. "It’s obviously an important win ... but the manner of the result makes it all the more uplifting both for Nabil and for the rest of the lads. He deserves it because it wasn’t down to luck: he believed in himself. It’s an incredible and wonderful story."
Yet, at that point, the idea of lining up at the World Cup must have seemed nothing short of a pipe dream for Bentaleb, who previously represented Les Fennecs at the 2014 edition of the tournament in Brazil. Indeed, the midfielder's focus was on fully finding his feet at club level again.
The prospect of featuring at another World Cup may have still appeared far-fetched to Bentaleb even last December, when he was omitted from Vladimir Petkovic’s squad for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. However, Algeria went on to bow out of that tournament in meek fashion with a 2-0 quarter-final loss to Nigeria. Bentaleb then finished the season strongly and convinced Petkovic that he still had a role to play.
The ex-Spurs, Schalke, Newcastle and Angers schemer went some way towards repaying that show of faith in the recent World Cup warm-up match against the Netherlands, playing the full 90 minutes and even technically coming away with an assist, having fed Anis Hadj Moussa down the flank before the Feyenoord forward’s stunning late winner.
This was just the latest sign of the battle-hardened 31-year-old’s resurgence, and now it remains to be seen whether he can cap his fairy-tale comeback by shining on the biggest stage of all. Whether or not he gets the nod from the start for the North Africans’ curtain-raiser against world champions Argentina, one thing is guaranteed: Bentaleb will truly relish the occasion and deliver if he is called upon.
Sources: FIFA Official
