# Karim Bellarabi
**Karim Bellarabi** (born 1990 in Berlin) is a German retired footballer who played as a right winger, most of his career for [Bayer 04 Leverkusen](https://www.edgepedia.org/bayer-04-leverkusen) in the [Bundesliga](https://www.edgepedia.org/bundesliga). He is known for two Bundesliga records: the fastest goal in the league's history at the time, scored after 9 seconds in August 2014, and the 50,000th goal in Bundesliga history, scored in February 2017.[1](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/fellhauer-bellarabi-volland-musiala-fastest-goals-in-history-24353) • [2](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/number-38-is-30-happy-birthday-karim) He was capped eleven times by Germany and retired at the end of the 2022/23 season after twelve years with [Leverkusen](https://www.edgepedia.org/leverkusen).[3](https://app.francefootball.fr//fiche/joueur/karim-bellarabi/41424) • [4](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/farewell-to-bayer-04-karim-bellarabi)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990, Berlin; German mother, Moroccan father, raised in Bremen[5](https://personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de/person/1043017925/) |
| Position | Right winger; also left winger and second striker[6](https://www.transfermarkt.us/karim-bellarabi/profil/spieler/61087) |
| Records | Fastest Bundesliga goal at the time, 9 seconds vs Borussia Dortmund (23 August 2014); 50,000th Bundesliga goal (17 February 2017)[1](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/fellhauer-bellarabi-volland-musiala-fastest-goals-in-history-24353) • [2](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/number-38-is-30-happy-birthday-karim) |
| Germany | 11 caps, 1 goal; debut 11 October 2014, Poland 0–2 Germany in Warsaw[3](https://app.francefootball.fr//fiche/joueur/karim-bellarabi/41424) |
| Honors | 3. Liga champion 2011 (Eintracht Braunschweig); DFB-Pokal runner-up 2020 (Bayer Leverkusen)[7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/bellarabi%20karim/01/8865) • [3](https://app.francefootball.fr//fiche/joueur/karim-bellarabi/41424) |
| Peak market value | €40.00 million (Transfermarkt)[8](https://www.transfermarkt.com/vergleich/spielervergleich/statistik/def/spieler/161011%2661087) |
## Origins and youth
Bellarabi was born in Berlin to a German mother and a Moroccan father and grew up in Bremen, where he played street football and started in the youth teams of FC Huchting and FC Oberneuland.[5](https://personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de/person/1043017925/) He joined the U19 squad of [Eintracht Braunschweig](https://www.edgepedia.org/eintracht-braunschweig) in 2008, moved into the professional squad in 2009/10, and was part of the [Braunschweig](https://www.edgepedia.org/braunschweig) side that won the 3. Liga title in 2011 and won promotion.[5](https://personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de/person/1043017925/) • [7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/bellarabi%20karim/01/8865) In 2011/12 he transferred to Bayer 04 Leverkusen.[5](https://personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de/person/1043017925/)
## Club career
**Braunschweig and early Leverkusen years.** After moving to Leverkusen in 2011, Bellarabi spent the 2013/14 season back at Braunschweig on loan as the club returned to the Bundesliga, then re-established himself at Leverkusen from 2014/15.[4](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/farewell-to-bayer-04-karim-bellarabi) • [5](https://personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de/person/1043017925/) His breakthrough came in his fourth Bundesliga season, 2014/15, under coach Roger Schmidt, who credited the fast dribbler with adapting his own pressing system, saying he was "a phenomenal player who has made our system his own".[7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/bellarabi%20karim/01/8865)
**Peak seasons.** Across 2014/15 and 2015/16 Bellarabi recorded 25 goals and 28 assists in 95 competitive games for Leverkusen.[9](https://www.bayer04.de/de-de/news/bayer04/karim-bellarabi-vom-leben-gelernt) The following seasons were repeatedly interrupted by injuries, including a long layoff in 2016/17 and a knee injury in August 2022 that ended his 2022/23 season early.[7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/bellarabi%20karim/01/8865) • [10](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/player/werkself/alumni/karim-bellarabi) In the 2019/20 Champions League he made five appearances for 413 minutes.[11](https://tactix.football/player/k-bellarabi) He was on the Leverkusen side that lost the 2020 [DFB-Pokal](https://www.edgepedia.org/dfb-pokal) final.[3](https://app.francefootball.fr//fiche/joueur/karim-bellarabi/41424)
**Retirement.** In May 2023 Leverkusen announced that Bellarabi would end his playing career in Germany at the close of the 2022/23 season after twelve eventful seasons with the club.[4](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/farewell-to-bayer-04-karim-bellarabi) Sporting managing director Simon Rolfes described his runs and shooting as equally feared by opponents.[4](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/farewell-to-bayer-04-karim-bellarabi) Transfermarkt listed him as retired since 1 July 2023.[6](https://www.transfermarkt.us/karim-bellarabi/profil/spieler/61087)
## Records
**Fastest goal.** On the first matchday of the 2014/15 season, 23 August 2014, Bellarabi scored after 9 seconds in Leverkusen's 2-0 win away to [Borussia Dortmund](https://www.edgepedia.org/borussia-dortmund), then the fastest goal in Bundesliga history.[1](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/fellhauer-bellarabi-volland-musiala-fastest-goals-in-history-24353) • [13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XOgihjmQuM) The mark had stood at 11 seconds, shared by Ulf Kirsten, Giovane Élber, and Paul Freier.[1](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/fellhauer-bellarabi-volland-musiala-fastest-goals-in-history-24353) Kevin Volland matched the 9-second figure against Bayern Munich in August 2015, and in October 2026 Robin Fellhauer scored in 8 seconds to take the record outright.[1](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/fellhauer-bellarabi-volland-musiala-fastest-goals-in-history-24353)
**50,000th Bundesliga goal.** On 17 February 2017, in the 24th minute of a match against [FC Augsburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-augsburg), Bellarabi scored the 50,000th goal in Bundesliga history, against the expectations of bookmakers who had favored Chicharito, Volland, and Kiessling for the milestone.[2](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/number-38-is-30-happy-birthday-karim) • [14](https://as.com/futbol/2017/02/19/primera/1487534668_566072.html)
## Playing style
Bellarabi was a fast, physically strong winger who beat defenders with explosive acceleration rather than close dribbling skill, with a strong cross and a dangerous shot; a Spanish match report during Leverkusen's 2015 Champions League tie with [Atlético Madrid](https://www.edgepedia.org/atletico-madrid) called him a nightmare for full-backs.[14](https://as.com/futbol/2017/02/19/primera/1487534668_566072.html) His Bundesliga.com profile for the 2022/23 season recorded a top speed of 32.49 km/h.[15](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/player/karim-bellarabi) He stood 1.84 m and weighed 81 kg.[16](https://www.kicker.de/karim-bellarabi/spieler)
## International career
Bellarabi played for the German U20 national team from 2010 and made his senior debut for Germany on 11 October 2014, at age 24, in a 2-0 win over Poland in Warsaw.[5](https://personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de/person/1043017925/) • [7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/bellarabi%20karim/01/8865) • [3](https://app.francefootball.fr//fiche/joueur/karim-bellarabi/41424) He earned 11 caps and scored 1 goal.[3](https://app.francefootball.fr//fiche/joueur/karim-bellarabi/41424) • [16](https://www.kicker.de/karim-bellarabi/spieler) He was included in Germany's preliminary squad for the 2016 European Championship while at Leverkusen but was cut from the final twenty-three after an inconsistent 2015/16 season.[17](https://www.extratime.com/player/11119244/karim-bellarabi/) • [7](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/bellarabi%20karim/01/8865) As a dual national he was also eligible for Morocco, and German-Moroccan players of his profile faced a choice of national team; he committed to Germany.[5](https://personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de/person/1043017925/) • [18](https://ccme.org.ma/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Le_Soir_2_nov.pdf)
## Career statistics
Domestic-league totals for his career, per FBref, were 278 appearances, 197 starts, 16,958 minutes, 45 goals, and 56 assists, a combined 0.54 goals plus assists per 90 minutes, with 38 yellow cards and 1 red card.[19](https://fbref.com/en/stathead/player_comparison.cgi?comp_type=by_type&dom_lg=1&player_id1=bee0bab1&player_id2=d70ce98e&player_id3=dea698d9&player_id4=82ec26c1&player_id5=1f44ac21&player_id6=bc7dc64d&request=1&show_form=1&sum=0) Kicker's competition breakdown gives 241 Bundesliga games with 37 goals, 27 DFB-Pokal games with 10 goals, 23 Champions League games with 2 goals, 22 Europa League games with 9 goals, and 38 third-tier games with 8 goals.[16](https://www.kicker.de/karim-bellarabi/spieler)
## References
1. [The 10 fastest goals in Bundesliga history, Bundesliga.com](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga/news/fellhauer-bellarabi-volland-musiala-fastest-goals-in-history-24353)
2. [Number 38 is 30: Happy birthday, Karim, Bayer04.de](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/number-38-is-30-happy-birthday-karim)
3. [Karim Bellarabi, fiche joueur, France Football](https://app.francefootball.fr//fiche/joueur/karim-bellarabi/41424)
4. [Farewell to Bayer 04 - Karim Bellarabi, Bayer04.de](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/farewell-to-bayer-04-karim-bellarabi)
5. [Bellarabi, Karim, Niedersächsische Personen](https://personen.niedersaechsische-bibliographie.de/person/1043017925/)
6. [Karim Bellarabi - Player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/karim-bellarabi/profil/spieler/61087)
7. [Karim Bellarabi, Munzinger Biographie](https://www.munzinger.de/register/portrait/biographien/bellarabi%20karim/01/8865)
8. [Player comparison Filip Kostić / Karim Bellarabi, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/vergleich/spielervergleich/statistik/def/spieler/161011%2661087)
9. [Karim Bellarabi – Vom Leben gelernt, Bayer04.de](https://www.bayer04.de/de-de/news/bayer04/karim-bellarabi-vom-leben-gelernt)
10. [Karim Bellarabi - Sturm, Bayer 04 alumni profile](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/player/werkself/alumni/karim-bellarabi)
11. [K. Bellarabi, TACTIX Impact, stats & form](https://tactix.football/player/k-bellarabi)
12. [Emotional farewell to Bellarabi and Co., Bayer04.de](https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/emotional-farewell-to-bellarabi-and-co)
13. [The Fastest Goal in Bundesliga History - Bellarabi Scores after 9 Seconds, Bundesliga on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XOgihjmQuM)
14. [Bellarabi, díscolo y contundente extremo que inquieta a Simeone, AS](https://as.com/futbol/2017/02/19/primera/1487534668_566072.html)
15. [Karim Bellarabi, Player Profile, Bundesliga.com](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/player/karim-bellarabi)
16. [Karim Bellarabi, Spielerprofil, kicker](https://www.kicker.de/karim-bellarabi/spieler)
17. [Karim Bellarabi, Player Profile, extratime.com](https://www.extratime.com/player/11119244/karim-bellarabi/)
18. [Le germano-maroco-ghanéen Karim Bellarabi face à son choix de sélection, Le Soir (via CCME)](https://ccme.org.ma/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Le_Soir_2_nov.pdf)
19. [Player Comparison: Karim Bellarabi career, FBref.com](https://fbref.com/en/stathead/player_comparison.cgi?comp_type=by_type&dom_lg=1&player_id1=bee0bab1&player_id2=d70ce98e&player_id3=dea698d9&player_id4=82ec26c1&player_id5=1f44ac21&player_id6=bc7dc64d&request=1&show_form=1&sum=0)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe › German footballers born before 1995*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license