Ernest Muçi

Tirana

Born in Albania's capital Tirana, Muçi began playing football at the age of 10 with local youth sides before joining KF Tirana in 2017, the club he supported growing up.^[5][14] He joined the club's under-17 side before being promoted to the senior squad in January 2018.^[15] On 28 January, he made his professional debut at the age of 16 years and 10 months, coming on as a 56th-minute substitute in a 3–0 home win over Shkumbini in the 2017–18 Kategoria e Parë.^[16] He scored his first senior goal on 3 March in a 4–1 victory over Shënkolli, netting in the 78th minute shortly after being introduced from the bench.^[17] Later that month, he scored twice in a 5–1 home win over Apolonia Fier.^[18] In April, he signed his first professional contract with Tirana, keeping him at the club until summer 2020 with an option for an additional year.^[19] He made 11 appearances and scored three goals during the season,^[11] as Tirana won the Kategoria e Parë title with a 2–0 victory over Kastrioti in the final on 16 May 2018, earning promotion to the Kategoria Superiore.^[20]

Muçi made his Kategoria Superiore debut on 2 September 2018, scoring in a 3–1 away defeat to Kukësi after replacing Yunus Sentamu at half-time.^[21] He made eight league appearances during the 2018–19 season, starting once, as Tirana finished seventh, five points clear of the relegation places.^[22][23] He also made three appearances in the Albanian Cup, including a late substitute appearance in the second leg of the semi-final against Luftëtari Gjirokastër, as Tirana advanced to the final with a 5–3 aggregate victory.^[5][24] During the same period, he also played for the under-19 side, scoring four goals in 11 matches between September and March as they finished third in Group A of the national youth league.^[5]

In the 2019–20 season, Muçi was frequently used as a substitute but was among Tirana's most productive players relative to his playing time.^[25] On 22 December 2019, he scored twice in a 2–1 comeback victory over Laçi.^[26] On 28 February 2020, he came on in the 76th minute and scored twice in the closing stages, in the 81st and 90th minutes, as Tirana defeated Partizani 5–1 in the Tirana derby.^[27][28] In the following derby on 10 July, he came on in the 87th minute and scored in stoppage time to secure a 1–1 draw for Tirana.^[29][30] On 18 July, he scored from the penalty spot in a 2–0 victory over Flamurtari, moving Tirana seven points clear of Kukësi.^[31] The following day, Vllaznia's 1–0 victory over Kukësi mathematically secured Tirana's 25th league title with two matches remaining.^[32][33][34] Muçi finished the league campaign with 20 appearances, including seven starts, and seven goals in a season interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[35][6] He credited coach Ndubuisi Egbo with giving young players greater freedom and confidence during the title-winning campaign.^[36] Muçi was the Albanian Cup's top scorer with five goals as Tirana reached a second consecutive final, where they lost to Teuta.^[37] He scored 12 goals in all competitions, a personal best.^[11] On 31 August 2020, he played the full 90 minutes in the Albanian Supercup final against Teuta, which Tirana lost 2–1.^[38]

Following the departure of main striker Michael Ngoo at the start of the 2020–21 season, Muçi became a regular starter, beginning with Tirana's UEFA Champions League first qualifying round match against Dinamo Tbilisi on 19 August.^[39][40] Tirana won 2–0 away from home to advance to the second qualifying round, with the qualifying rounds played as single-leg ties under special regulations introduced by UEFA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[41][42][43] In the second qualifying round, Muçi played the full 90 minutes against Red Star Belgrade, as Tirana were eliminated following a 1–0 home defeat on 25 August, where he had also two chances to score, including a shot from outside the box that was saved onto the post.^[44] Tirana subsequently entered the Europa League play-off round, where Muçi started against Young Boys on 1 October and played until the 85th minute in a 3–0 defeat that ended their European campaign.^[45] On 17 October, he signed a new one-year contract with Tirana.^[46]

In November 2020, Muçi scored four times, initially a brace in a 4–1 Albanian Cup victory over Shkumbini,^[47] before scoring in consecutive league matches, equalising in a 3–2 defeat to Vllaznia on 21 November and then opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw away to Kastrioti eight days later.^[48][49][50] The following month, he scored in a 3–0 victory over Apolonia Fier on 13 December and opened the scoring in a 1–1 draw against Vllaznia on 30 December.^[51][52][53] On 16 January 2021, Muçi scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Kastrioti, completing Tirana's comeback six minutes into the second half.^[54] Muçi played in all 20 of Tirana's league matches during the first half of the 2020–21 Kategoria Superiore season, establishing himself as one of the team's regular attacking options.^[55] In February 2021, Tirana announced his departure after more than three years with the club, during which he scored 23 goals and won two trophies, before joining Legia Warsaw.^[56]

Legia Warsaw

On 23 February 2021, Muçi joined Polish champions Legia Warsaw, signing a contract until 30 June 2025.^[57] The transfer fee was reported to be €500,000, while Tirana retained a 10 percent sell-on clause for any future transfer.^[58] He made his debut four days later as a second-half substitute in a 2–1 away victory over Górnik Zabrze.^[59] During the remainder of the season, he made seven league appearances, including two starts,^[60] as Legia secured their 15th Ekstraklasa title.^[61] He also made one appearance in the Polish Cup, coming on in the final 10 minutes of the quarter-final against Gliwice on 3 March 2021, as Legia lost 2–1.^[62] Muçi started in the 2021 Polish Super Cup on 17 July 2021 against Raków Częstochowa, playing 58 minutes before being substituted off with the score at 0–1, as Legia later equalised but eventually lost 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.^[63]

He scored his first goal for the club on 24 July 2021, netting a late winner against Wisła Płock on the opening day of the 2021–22 Ekstraklasa season.^[64] On 4 August, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in the third qualifying round, equalising in a 1–1 draw away to Dinamo Zagreb.^[65] He appeared as a substitute in the second leg, as Legia were eliminated 2–1 on aggregate.^[66] Legia then entered the UEFA Europa League play-off, where Muçi came on for the final 11 minutes of a 2–1 win over Slavia Prague that secured a 4–3 aggregate victory and a place in the group stage.^[67][68] He provided an assist on his Europa League group-stage debut against Spartak Moscow on 15 September, contributing to a 1–0 away victory.^[69] He went on to make three further appearances in the group stage, including two starts, against Napoli twice and Leicester City once, but Legia lost all three matches, conceding three or four goals in each and scoring twice in total.^[70] On 22 March 2022, he scored in the 86th minute of a 2–0 win over Górnik Łęczna in the 2021–22 Polish Cup quarter-finals, helping Legia reach the semi-finals.^[71] He finished the season with six goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, while Legia finished tenth in the league.^[72][73][74]

In the 2022–23 season, Muçi became an established starter under Kosta Runjaić, contributing to a significant turnaround for Legia after a disappointing previous campaign, as the club finished runners-up in the Ekstraklasa and won the Polish Cup.^[75] He made 24 starts and eight substitute appearances in 34 Ekstraklasa matches.^[76] He scored on the opening matchday against Korona Kielce on 16 July 2022 in a 1–1 draw.^[77] He scored five league goals.^[78][79] In the Cup, Muçi featured in all rounds except the quarter-finals, scoring once in four appearances as Legia reached the final.^[80] In the final on 2 May against Raków Częstochowa, Muçi was substituted in the 43rd minute following a tactical change after Legia were reduced to ten men early in the match, which eventually finished 0–0, with Legia winning 6–5 on penalties to secure the trophy.^[81] Muçi started in the Super Cup on 15 July 2023 against Raków Częstochowa and was substituted in the 64th minute as Legia went on to win on penalties after a 0–0 draw.^[82][83]

On 10 August 2023, Muçi scored his first goal of the 2023–24 season against Austria Vienna in the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round, adding another in the return leg as Legia advanced to the group stage with a 6–5 aggregate.^[84][85][86] On 3 September, he scored twice in a 3–1 league victory over Widzew Łódź, taking his tally to four goals in the opening seven matches of the season.^[87] He scored again the following week, equalising in the 69th minute of a 1–1 away draw against Piast Gliwice.^[88] Five days later, he scored twice in a 3–2 victory over Aston Villa in the Conference League group stage, and was highlighted as the decisive figure in the win.^[89][90] His performances also reflected his increasing versatility in Legia's attack, with Muçi later describing himself as capable of playing as a striker, attacking midfielder, false nine or winger, while crediting captain Josué with helping his development.^[91] On 25 November, Muçi scored in a 2–2 draw against Warta Poznań, equalising in the 63rd minute after earlier winning the penalty from which Josué scored to reduce Legia's deficit; his performance earned him the Sofascore player-of-the-match award with a rating of 8.4.^[92] Five days later, Muçi scored again against Aston Villa, equalising in the 58th minute of a 2–1 defeat at Villa Park.^[93] On 14 December 2023, Muçi started and played 87 minutes in a 2–0 victory over AZ Alkmaar, completing appearances in all six of Legia's group-stage matches as the club finished second in Group E and advanced to the Conference league knockout stage.^[94][95] During the first half of the season, Muçi scored nine goals in 33 appearances across all competitions before departing for Turkey to join Beşiktaş.^[96][97]

Beşiktaş

On 9 February 2024, Süper Lig club Beşiktaş announced the signing of Muçi on a three-and-a-half-year contract for a reported fee of €10 million, with Legia retaining a 10% sell-on clause.^[98] Beşiktaş president Hasan Arat accompanied Muçi on a private jet from Warsaw to Istanbul.^[99] Muçi quickly established himself as a regular starter, making his debut three days after signing and subsequently starting 12 consecutive Süper Lig matches.^[100][101]

He scored his first goal for Beşiktaş on 25 February 2024, scoring the second goal in a 2–0 away win over İstanbulspor with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 54th minute.^[102] On 16 March, he scored in the 46th minute of a 2–1 home defeat to Antalyaspor, converting a pass from Milot Rashica to reduce the deficit.^[103][104] Muçi scored his third and final league goal of the season on 19 April, opening the scoring in a 2–0 home win over Ankaragücü with a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area.^[105] On 7 May, Muçi scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Ankaragücü in the second leg of the Turkish Cup semi-final, sending Beşiktaş through to the final.^[106] After the match, Muçi said that the victory was important for Beşiktaş to "save the season" and that he had adapted well to the team.^[107] On 23 May, he started the Turkish Cup final against Trabzonspor and played the full match as Beşiktaş won 3–2, with the winning goal scored in stoppage time to secure the trophy and qualification for the UEFA Europa League.^[108] He was suspended for the final league match against Kasımpaşa after accumulating yellow cards. Beşiktaş lost the match 2–1 and finished the season in sixth place.^[109][110]

At the start of the 2024–25 season, Muçi was initially left out of the starting lineup by newly appointed manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, while the arrival of Portuguese forward Rafa Silva further reduced his playing time; by August, Turkish media reported that Muçi was considering a move away from the club.^[111] He was subsequently linked with Aston Villa and West Ham United, with reports on 17 August suggesting that Beşiktaş would consider offers of around £12 million for him.^[112] The following day, however, Muçi made his first appearance of the season as a late substitute against Antalyaspor, entering in the 88th minute and scoring five minutes later in a 4–2 victory, sealing Beşiktaş's second consecutive league win.^[113][114] He then featured as a substitute in both legs of the Europa League play-off against Lugano, providing an assist as Beşiktaş advanced to the league phase with an 8–4 aggregate victory.^{[115][116][117][118]} On 1 September, he made his first start of the season against Sivasspor, helping Beşiktaş to a 2–0 victory and a third consecutive league win.^[119]

By the end of September, Muçi had returned to the starting lineup and began to feature regularly as a starter.^[120] His performances initially drew criticism in the Turkish media, with one assessment describing him as failing to rise above an average level, while manager van Bronckhorst publicly backed him as an important player for the squad, noting that he had responded to a poor start to the season by working harder and earning more playing time, while his increased involvement also came amid several absences in the Beşiktaş squad.^[121][122] He provided an assist in Beşiktaş's 3–1 Europa League defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on 3 October, setting up Arthur Masuaku for the hosts' only goal.^[123][124] Following the defeat, however, Muçi was among the players booed by Beşiktaş supporters, prompting the club to publicly express its support for him and others involved.^[125] He then provided his first Süper Lig assist on 20 October in a 2–0 victory over Konyaspor, setting up Rafa Silva for Beşiktaş's second goal, and afterwards said he was ready to play on either wing according to the manager's decision.^[126][127] A week later, Muçi came off the bench in the 68th minute against Galatasaray and scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to reduce the deficit to 2–1 in an eventual defeat at Rams Park.^{[128][129][130]} On 2 November 2024, Muçi returned to the starting lineup against Kasımpaşa and scored his second consecutive goal, opening the scoring in first-half stoppage time, but Beşiktaş surrendered the lead and suffered a 3–1 defeat.^[131] Four days later, Muçi scored for the third consecutive match, opening the scoring in the 76th minute in a 2–1 victory over Malmö FF in the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League league phase.^[132] Muçi described the victory as a good reaction after two consecutive defeats.^[133]

Following van Bronckhorst's departure at the end of November 2024, Muçi lost his regular starting place under caretaker manager Serdar Topraktepe and featured mainly as a substitute during December.^{[134][135][136]} Upon his departure from the club, coordinator Samet Aybaba criticised Muçi's signing, stating that he had warned against paying a large transfer fee for him.^[137] On 3 January 2025, Muçi scored Beşiktaş's goal in a 1–1 draw against Çaykur Rizespor, and afterwards he said that playing outside his preferred position was difficult but that he was adapting to Topraktepe's demands and seeking to contribute wherever needed.^[138]

After Ole Gunnar Solskjær was appointed manager in January 2025, Muçi impressed in his first start by playing 86 minutes in a 4–1 Europa League league-phase victory over Athletic Bilbao on 22 January, prompting Solskjær to decide against a proposed transfer or loan move for him following discussions with the player.^[139] On 30 January, Muçi featured in Beşiktaş's final league-phase match, a 1–0 defeat to Twente that left the club 28th in the 36-team league phase with nine points and eliminated them from the competition.^[140] On 4 February, Muçi scored the opening goal in a 2–0 victory over Kırklarelispor in the Turkish Cup, breaking the deadlock in the 62nd minute with a solo effort as Beşiktaş secured a second consecutive group-stage victory and remained top of the group.^[141][142] On 29 March, Muçi started against Galatasaray, playing 65 minutes, and was praised for his performance, with the reports noting that coach Solskjær had shown confidence in him; he also had a goal disallowed for offside.^[143] On 3 April, he scored in the 30th minute to give Beşiktaş an early lead against Göztepe in the Turkish Cup quarter-final, but Göztepe scored three times to win 3–1 and eliminate Beşiktaş from the competition.^[144][145] Later, Turkish media reported that coach Solskjær wanted Muçi to remain at Beşiktaş for the following season, having been impressed by his performances in recent weeks; his form had also earned praise from supporters.^[146]

On 12 April 2025, Muçi suffered a thigh injury in the 26th minute of a 1–1 draw against İstanbul Başakşehir, with an MRI scan confirming a strain and bleeding in the inner muscle of his right thigh. Beşiktaş subsequently announced that his rehabilitation had begun.^[147] He was expected to be sidelined for around a month and was described as one of Beşiktaş's most important attacking players in recent matches.^[148] Muçi returned from injury on 18 May, coming on at half-time against Alanyaspor and becoming a protagonist by providing the assist for the equaliser in the 71st minute of a 1–1 draw.^[149][150] On 1 June, he started Beşiktaş's final Süper Lig match away to Bodrumspor and played until the 72nd minute in a 4–0 victory.^[151] The result left Beşiktaş in contention for third place, but Samsunspor came from behind to defeat Kayserispor 2–1 with two stoppage-time goals, finishing third with 64 points while Beşiktaş finished fourth with 62 and qualified for the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, while Samsunspor entered the play-off round.^[152]

Muçi featured in both legs of Beşiktaş's Conference League third qualifying round against Patrick's Athletic, starting the first leg and playing 59 minutes before coming on at half-time in the return leg as Beşiktaş won both matches and advanced to the play-off round with a 7–3 aggregate victory.^{[153][154][155]} In the second leg of the play-off round on 28 August 2025, Muçi came on at half-time with Beşiktaş trailing Lausanne-Sport 1–0, but was unable to help overturn the deficit as Beşiktaş lost at home and were eliminated 2–1 on aggregate, missing out on a place in the league phase.^[156] In September 2025, it was agreed that Muçi would continue his career on loan at Trabzonspor for the 2025–26 season.^[9]

Trabzonspor

Senior

Muçi was first called up to the senior national team by Edoardo Reja on 28 August 2021 for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification against Poland, but did not make an appearance.^[210] He made his senior debut in another World Cup qualifier on 15 November, coming on as a 56th-minute substitute in a 1–0 home victory over Andorra.^[211]

Under Sylvinho, Muçi became a regular member of the senior team from June 2023 onward, making four substitute appearances during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.^[212] In his second appearance of the qualifying campaign on 20 June 2023, Muçi scored his first senior international goal in stoppage time to seal a 3–1 away victory over the Faroe Islands.^[213] On 17 October 2023, he scored his second international goal in a 2–0 friendly win against Bulgaria.^[214] In the final qualifying match, he came on for the final 17 minutes against the Faroe Islands on 20 November, as Albania secured a goalless draw to finish top of the group for the first time in its history with a record 15 points, level with second-placed Czech Republic but ahead on head-to-head record, and qualified for the final tournament of a European Championship for the second time in history.^[215][13]

In June 2024, Muçi was named in Albania's final 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024.^[216] He scored in a warm-up friendly against Liechtenstein on 3 June 2024.^[217] During the group stage, Muçi made two appearances, coming on as a late substitute in Albania's opening match against Italy on 15 June, a 2–1 defeat, and again in the final group match against Spain, which ended in a 1–0 loss, as Albania were eliminated after finishing bottom of the group with one point.^[218][219]

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, Muçi made one appearance in the opening phase of the campaign, playing for over half an hour in June, before missing the autumn matches due to lower-back pain with signs of disc inflammation and later being left out on tactical grounds despite his solid performances for Trabzonspor in the Süper Lig.^{[220][221][222][223][224]} Albania eventually secured a place in the play-offs with one match remaining and finished second in the group.^[225] In March 2026, Muçi returned to the national team squad for Albania's play-off semi-final against Poland, coming on as a late substitute for the final nine minutes as Albania lost 2–1 after initially taking the lead before half-time and were eliminated.^[226][227]

Club

As of match played 24 August 2026^[8][5][10]

International

As of match played 26 March 2026^[8][12][7]

Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Muçi goal.

More information No., Cap ...

List of international goals scored by Ernest Muçi

No.	Cap	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	4	20 June 2023	Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands	Faroe Islands	3–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying	[230]
2	6	17 October 2023	Arena Kombëtare, Tirana, Albania	Bulgaria	2–0	2–0	Friendly	[231]
3	10	3 June 2024	Haladás Sportkomplexum, Szombathely, Hungary	Liechtenstein	3–0	3–0	Friendly	[232]

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