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Born and raised in Germany to an Algerian father and a Vietnamese mother, Maza, 21, previously represented Germany at various youth international levels. Ultimately, the 20-year-old chose to commit his international future to Algeria, according to OneFootball.

The Algerian Football Federation announced Maza as one of seven midfielders selected for the World Cup squad, joining established stars such as Nabil Bentaleb (Lille) and Houssem Aouar (Al Ittihad).

The call-up serves as a well-deserved result for Maza’s standout performances during the season. The versatile attacker made 28 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, including 20 starts, and directly contributed to seven goals, netting three and assisting four.

Maza is known for his impressive dribbling skills, precise passing and potent long-range shooting abilities. He is highly versatile, capable of deploying as an attacking midfielder, winger, central midfielder, or even as a second striker. He has played as the main striker once this season for Leverkusen.

His transfer market value is currently estimated at around €30 million (US$34.9 million), according to Transfer market.

Maza’s rapid rise has attracted the attention of Spanish giant Barcelona, Sports World reported. He is viewed as a player who could inject flexibility and pace into the attacking system of Barca, helping the team maintain high-pressing intensity and break down deep-lying defenses.