Adil Boulbina: Al Duhail and Algeria Player Profile

Adil Boulbina is an Algerian forward who plays for Al Duhail SC in Qatar. He emerged from Paradou AC, finished the 2024/25 Algerian league season with 20 goals, and moved to Al Duhail for the following campaign. His first year in Qatar included an AFC Champions League Elite hat-trick, a decisive Africa Cup of Nations goal, and a place in Algeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.

FIFA’s final tournament squad list, updated after the World Cup, records Boulbina with 13 senior Algeria caps and five goals. He wore number 20 at the tournament and appeared as a substitute against Switzerland in the Round of 32. Those official figures replace the older nine-cap record and speculative financial claims that appeared in the previous version of this page.

Adil Boulbina profile

Full name	Adil Boulbina
Date of birth	2 May 2003
Birthplace	El Milia, Jijel, Algeria
Nationality	Algerian
Position	Left winger / forward
Preferred foot	Right
Current club	Al Duhail SC
Club shirt number	77
National team	Algeria
Algeria record	13 caps, 5 goals after the 2026 World Cup
World Cup number	20 in 2026

Who is Adil Boulbina?

Boulbina is a direct attacking player whose strongest senior work has come from the left side or in a flexible forward role. He can begin wide, accelerate toward a defender, and move onto his right foot near the penalty area. His scoring record at Paradou showed that he could finish moves as well as create separation on the wing.

His route is closely tied to Algerian development. Paradou gave him a platform in the domestic league and the Algeria A’ setup gave him international exposure. He then moved to Qatar, where Al Duhail used him in league and continental competition before the senior national team selected him for AFCON and the World Cup.

Early life in El Milia

The Algerian Ligue de Football Professionnel lists Boulbina’s birthplace as El Milia in Jijel and his date of birth as 2 May 2003. El Milia is in northeastern Algeria, away from the country’s largest professional football centres. His career later brought him into Paradou’s development system in Algiers.

Public records do not provide a detailed, verified account of every childhood club or coach. This profile therefore begins with the documented Paradou pathway instead of filling that period with assumptions. The first useful evidence is his progression into senior competition and his sustained output in Algeria’s top division.

Development at Paradou AC

Paradou AC has a strong reputation for developing young Algerian players. Boulbina moved from that environment into the first team and learned to operate against senior defenders. The club gave him room to carry the ball, attack one-on-one situations and take responsibility around the penalty area.

Building a senior role

Young wide players often enter senior football in short appearances. Boulbina developed beyond that stage and became a regular attacking reference. His movement from the wing helped Paradou stretch opponents, while his willingness to enter central scoring positions made him harder to defend than a player who stayed near the touchline.

The scoring jump

The key change was end product. Boulbina turned promising actions into goals across a full league campaign. The Algerian LFP described his 2024/25 season as consistent, efficient and inventive. That evaluation came after a run that placed him at the top of the domestic scoring chart.

Twenty-goal 2024/25 season

Boulbina scored 20 league goals for Paradou in 2024/25. The Algerian LFP confirmed the total after his two goals against NC Magra and named him its player of the month for May. Al Duhail also cited the 20-goal record when announcing an agreement to sign him.

Why the total mattered

Twenty goals is striking for a winger in any top-flight season. It showed that Boulbina could repeat his actions from week to week rather than rely on a short scoring streak. His finishing also came from varied situations, including moves where he started outside and arrived inside the box.

Recognition from the league

The May award came from the competition organiser, not an unofficial fan poll. It recognised the level Boulbina maintained through the closing stage of the campaign. By then, interest from clubs outside Algeria was a natural result of his age, role and production.

Transfer to Al Duhail

Al Duhail announced on 19 June 2025 that it had reached an agreement for Boulbina to join the first team from the start of the next season. The club described him as an attacking winger and the Algerian league’s leading scorer. It also noted his experience with Algeria’s youth and local national teams.

The official announcement does not state a contract end date. For that reason, this profile does not present 2030 or any other year as a confirmed expiry. A reliable club announcement confirms the transfer and his current role, while the Al Duhail player page lists him as number 77.

First season in Qatar

Moving from Algeria to Qatar changed the tactical and competitive setting. Al Duhail had experienced international players and entered the AFC Champions League Elite. Boulbina had to earn touches in a team that could attack through several established forwards.

League contributions

Official Qatar Stars League reports document several important goals. Boulbina scored twice in the 8-1 win over Al Arabi, converted a penalty in the 2-0 victory at Al Wakrah, and scored against Al Rayyan in a 1-1 draw. Those matches show that his contribution continued after the move rather than ending with his Paradou season.

A wider attacking role

Al Duhail used him as a forward and winger. He could start wide, attack the space behind a full-back or support the centre-forward. Club reports also describe shots, crosses and counter-attacking runs, evidence that his role involved more than waiting for chances inside the six-yard area.

AFC Champions League Elite impact

Boulbina produced some of his first-season highlights in Asian continental competition. He scored away to Al Hilal, added a goal against Shabab Al Ahli, converted against Sharjah, and delivered a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Al Ittihad.

Hat-trick against Al Ittihad

The Al Ittihad match on 24 November 2025 was the clearest statement. Boulbina scored in the fifth, 33rd and 53rd minutes. The goals came before Krzysztof Piatek added Al Duhail’s fourth, and they helped the club move to seven points after five league-stage matches.

Threat against strong opponents

Continental matches placed him against defenders used to high-level club football. His goals against Al Hilal, Shabab Al Ahli, Al Ittihad and Sharjah showed that his speed and finishing could carry beyond the Algerian league. The evidence is specific match output, not an estimated market value.

Algeria A’ and CHAN pathway

Before becoming a regular senior selection, Boulbina represented Algeria in the local-player pathway. CAF reported that he scored twice in a CHAN qualifier against Gambia in May 2025. Those goals helped Algeria secure qualification and strengthened his case for higher international recognition.

The A’ team gave him a bridge between domestic club football and the full national side. He faced international opponents while still playing at Paradou, which allowed selectors to assess his decisions under a different type of pressure.

FIFA Arab Cup 2025

Boulbina was one of Algeria’s main attacking figures at the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar. FIFA’s final scoring list credits him with three goals, placing him among the tournament’s leading scorers behind Golden Boot winner Ali Olwan.

Three tournament goals

His Arab Cup goals included a strike in the group-stage win over Bahrain and Algeria’s goal against the United Arab Emirates in the quarter-final. Algeria’s title defence ended in that match after a shootout, but Boulbina’s individual tournament strengthened his position in the broader national-team pool.

Useful Qatar experience

The tournament took place in the same country where he played club football. Familiar stadiums and conditions helped, but the national-team role carried a different responsibility. Algeria looked to him for attacking initiative, and three goals supplied tangible evidence that he could handle it.

AFCON 2025 breakthrough

At the Africa Cup of Nations played across December 2025 and January 2026, Boulbina produced one of Algeria’s defining moments. He entered the Round of 16 match against DR Congo as a substitute and scored the only goal in the 118th minute.

Winner against DR Congo

CAF’s official report says Boulbina had been on the field for five minutes when he decided the tie. He moved inside from the right and curled his finish beyond goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. The goal sent Algeria into the quarter-finals and earned Boulbina the official player-of-the-match award.

Value from the bench

The moment showed why a tournament squad needs different attacking profiles. After almost two hours of a tight knockout match, fresh acceleration and confidence in a one-on-one situation changed the result. Boulbina did not need a full match to influence the tie.

Algeria senior record

FIFA’s final 2026 World Cup squad document lists Boulbina with 13 senior Algeria caps and five goals. The file was updated on 19 July 2026, after the tournament, making it a stronger current reference than pre-World Cup profiles.

Five goals across his early senior appearances reflect the Arab Cup scoring run and the AFCON winner, among other national-team work. The figure should still be read in context: 13 caps is the start of an international career, not a guarantee of a permanent starting place.

Adil Boulbina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Vladimir Petkovic selected Boulbina in Algeria’s 26-player World Cup squad. FIFA listed him as an Al Duhail forward wearing number 20. Algeria lost to Argentina, beat Jordan, and drew with Austria to advance from Group J as one of the best third-placed teams.

Role during the group stage

Boulbina was an unused substitute in the group matches for which FIFA’s official reports list him on the bench. Petkovic relied on more established attacking options as Algeria recovered from the opening defeat and secured four points from the next two matches.

Round of 32 appearance

Boulbina entered the Round of 32 match against Switzerland in the 82nd minute, replacing Rayan Ait-Nouri. FIFA’s match data records his involvement during the closing phase. Switzerland won 2-0, so Algeria’s campaign ended and Boulbina finished the tournament with one substitute appearance.

For the result and match information, see the FWC Times Switzerland vs Algeria guide. The Algeria team page covers the squad and tournament route.

Position and playing style

Boulbina is a right-footed forward who is comfortable starting from the left. That starting point lets him face a full-back, accelerate inside and open a shooting angle on his stronger foot. He can also move across the front line when the team needs a more fluid attack.

Cutting in from the left

His Paradou scoring record grew from movements that brought him closer to goal. Staying wide can create the first separation, but the decisive action often comes when he carries the ball toward the central channel or arrives beyond another attacker.

Acceleration and balance

Boulbina changes direction without needing a long run-up. That makes him useful against a settled defence and on a counter-attack. His challenge at higher levels is to choose when to dribble, when to release a teammate and when to attack the box without the ball.

Finishing under pressure

The 20-goal Paradou season, the Al Ittihad hat-trick and the late AFCON winner offer three different examples of finishing. One came across a league season, one in a major club match, and one near the end of an international knockout tie.

Conflicting height records

Two official sources publish different heights. FIFA’s final World Cup squad list records Boulbina at 183 cm, while Al Duhail’s player page lists 177 cm. There is no sound basis for choosing one as definitively correct without a new measurement or correction from the organisations.

The structured data on this page therefore omits height. The disagreement is disclosed here so readers can see why a single figure is not presented as settled fact.

Salary, net worth and contract claims

Al Duhail and the competition organisers do not publish a dependable weekly salary or personal net-worth figure for Boulbina. Estimates copied between databases are not evidence of his private finances. This page does not assign a salary range or net worth.

The club’s transfer announcement confirms that he joined from Paradou for the 2025/26 season, but it does not give a contract expiry. An exact end date is therefore excluded until Al Duhail or another authoritative registration source publishes one.

What comes next?

Boulbina enters the next phase with meaningful experience in Algeria, Qatar, the AFC Champions League Elite, the Arab Cup, AFCON and the World Cup. The main question is whether he can turn tournament cameos and major single-match performances into a consistent starting role for club and country.

At Al Duhail, repeated league output would strengthen the work already shown in continental competition. With Algeria, competition for forward places remains strong. His five goals give Petkovic a reason to keep him involved, while selection and minutes will depend on form and tactical needs.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Adil Boulbina?

He was born on 2 May 2003. His age changes each year on that date.

Where was Adil Boulbina born?

The Algerian LFP lists his birthplace as El Milia in Jijel, Algeria.

Which club does he play for?

He plays for Al Duhail SC in Qatar and wears club number 77.

How many goals did he score for Paradou in 2024/25?

He scored 20 Algerian league goals and received the LFP player-of-the-month award for May.

What is his Algeria record?

FIFA’s final post-tournament list records 13 senior caps and five goals.

Did Adil Boulbina play at the 2026 World Cup?

Yes. He came on in the 82nd minute against Switzerland in the Round of 32.

How tall is Adil Boulbina?

Official records conflict. FIFA lists 183 cm and Al Duhail lists 177 cm, so this profile does not treat either number as settled.

Sources and verification

The FWC Times Algeria squad report provides more context on Petkovic’s selection. Country-by-country viewing information is available in the World Cup broadcasting guide.