Ilham Abali
Dutch footballer (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ilham Abali (born 19 February 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club FC Twente.[1][2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ilham Abali | ||
| Date of birth | 19 February 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Vlissingen, Netherlands | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | FC Twente | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ADO Den Haag | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2024 | ADO Den Haag | 17 | (0) |
| 2025– | FC Twente | ||
| International career | |||
| 2017 | Netherlands U15 | 3 | (0) |
| 2018 | Netherlands U16 | 6 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Netherlands U17 | 13 | (3) |
| 2019 | Netherlands U19 | 5 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 10 February 2024 | |||
Club career
Abali made her senior-team debut with ADO Den Haag at the age of 16, and was promoted to the first team in 2020.[3] Sidelined due to a serious knee injury in 2020, in 2022, she extended her contract with ADO through the summer of 2023.[3][4] On 7 May 2023, she made her return to the pitch as a substitute in the 88th minute at home against Excelsior Rotterdam.[5]
Abali was injured in the summer of 2024, and spent 2024-25 rehabilitating from the injury. On 16 September 2025, she signed with Twente.[6]
International career
In 2019, Abali reached the European Championship final with the Netherlands women's national under-17 football team, winning silver.[4][7]
Personal life
Abali was born in Vlissingen, Netherlands.[1] She was one of more than 20 Moroccan-Dutch footballers and coaches featured in the book Marokkaanse trots: Smaakmakers in de eredivisie (2020), examining their experience in the Eredivisie, the top-flight of football in the Netherlands.[8]
Further reading
- Rijsman, Thomas; Ghouddani, Nordin (2020). Marokkaanse trots: Smaakmakers in de eredivisie. Atlas Contact. ISBN 9789045040677