Vietnamese-origin player valued at 17 times more than naturalized star striker Nguyen Xuan Son

Born in 2005 in Berlin, Maza's father is Algerian, while his mother is Vietnamese. He holds dual citizenship in Germany and Algeria, and his Algerian grandparents visit him in Berlin every summer.

The 20-year-old striker began his youth career in 2011 with Reinickendorfer Fuchse before joining Hertha Berlin’s academy in 2018.

This season, Maza has scored seven goals and provided four assists for Hertha Berlin, a club in Germany’s second division.

Ibrahim Maza currently wears the number 10 jersey at Hertha Berlin. Photo by Instagram/@ibo.mz10

At 1.8 m tall, Maza can play as an attacking midfielder, winger or striker.

According to Transfersmarkt, he is valued at €12 million, 17 times higher than Nguyen Xuan Son (€700,000), the best striker in Vietnam at the moment.

Son, whose Brazilian name is Rafaelson Fernandes, received Vietnamese citizenship in September 2024. He became the first naturalized player without Vietnamese ancestry to be called up to the national team since 2009. He played a crucial role in Vietnam's 2024 ASEAN Cup victory, scoring seven goals after just four matches to be name the top scorer and most valuable player of the tournament.

Maza previously represented Germany at the U18, U19 and U20 levels. However, in 2024, he chose to play for Algeria, making his debut in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Togo. As a result, Maza is no longer eligible to represent Vietnam or Germany at the national team level.

The striker's decision disappointed Vietnamese fans, especially since the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has recently welcomed Vietnamese-origin and naturalized talents to strengthen the national team.

Hertha Berlin have high expectations for Maza as they gave him the prestigious number 10 jersey. The club also rejected offers of around €20 million from AC Milan and FC Porto during the last winter transfer window, Footboom reported.