Nabil Bentaleb, Lille’s 30-year-old midfielder has made an impressive comeback after experiencing a cardiac arrest last year.
He marked his remarkable return to the sport by scoring during Lille’s 2-0 victory over Rennes in the league on Sunday.
After being informed that his career might be in jeopardy, following his collapse in June 2024, Bentaleb entered the match as a substitute in the 76th minute and scored just four minutes after taking the field.
He reacted swiftly to capitalize on a rebound after the Rennes goalkeeper deflected a shot, successfully converting the opportunity into a goal.
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An emotional Bentaleb then celebrated with his teammates and coaching staff along the sidelines. “It’s worthy of a film,” Lille manager Bruno Genesio told reporters after the game.
“He deserved it because I don’t believe in luck, he believed in himself. It’s an incredible, wonderful story.”
Bentaleb had collapsed on June 18, 2024, while playing soccer with friends and was put into an artificial coma before being fitted with a pacemaker-defibrillator.
He returned to training in January, just seven months after his collapse, slowly building back his fitness.
He was named man of the match on Sunday, following his goal scoring exploits.
“Nabil’s goal put us on cloud nine, it’s hard to describe,” Genesio added. “It could be a moment that will mark the end of our season that will remain engraved in the history of the club, and in Nabil’s mind, of course.”
Bentaleb started his career at Lille before moving to the English Premier League with Tottenham. He then moved to Germany to play for Schalke. He also played for teams such as Newcastle and Angers.
He plays international soccer for Algeria and has made 53 appearances to date. The midfielder follows the likes of Christian Eriksen in returning to soccer after suffering a cardiac arrest.
