From Premier League stardom to a four-year doping ban
In short: Egyptian forward Ramadan Sobhi once captivated European scouts with his technical brilliance. From a £5 million move to Stoke City to winning the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, his career has been a whirlwind of high-stakes football and sudden, heavy controversies.
Born on 23 January 1997, Ramadan Sobhi emerged as a teenage prodigy at Cairo's Al Ahly SC. After his professional debut on 6 February 2014, he assisted the club in winning the Egyptian Premier League during the 2013–14 and 2015–16 seasons. Major European sides, such as Arsenal and Atlético Madrid, took notice of his skill—notably his debated 'stand on the ball' technique. He secured the league title with his club in 2014 and 2016. His talent even earned him interest from clubs like Roma and Udinese.
In July 2016, Sobhi made a significant move to the English Premier League with Stoke City for a fee of £5 million. He became the first teenager to start a league game for the club in nine years, making his debut against Manchester City on 20 August 2016. After a stint in England, he joined Huddersfield Town in June 2018 for £5.7 million before returning to Egypt to play for Pyramids FC in September 2020. During his time in England, he scored his first Premier League goal against West Bromwich Albion. He later returned to Al Ahly on a loan deal.
The Egyptian forward's career has faced severe legal and professional setbacks. In November 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport issued him a four-year ban following a positive doping test for samples taken in August 2023. That same month, he was detained in Egypt regarding allegations of academic fraud, a case that resulted in a one-year prison sentence with hard labour in late December 2025. His international career began at age 17 against Tanzania. He also captained the Egypt national under-23 side to a title in 2019.
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