Cologne prodigy El Mala: The Bundesliga's new hope!

Cologne prodigy El Mala: The Bundesliga's new hope!

19-year-old Saïd El Mala is developing into a true sensation in the Bundesliga. The 1. FC Köln winger is showing impressive performances this season and has already scored five goals and three assists. This makes El Mala the most successful scorer on his team, ahead of colleagues like Jakub Kaminski and Marius Bülter. What is surprising is that El Mala has only started four times so far, which makes his achievement all the more remarkable. Last season he was loaned out to third division club Viktoria Köln, where he also caused a sensation and was recognized as a newcomer for the 2024/25 season. FC St. Pauli reports on his impressive progress and underlines his development into a potential key player for the Cologne club.

El Mala's remarkable record this season is impressive: he has already scored four goals in his first Bundesliga appearances of his young career. In particular, his last-minute goal in Bremen secured Cologne a late point win, which shows the team's high efficiency. In fact, Cologne only scored eleven of their 21 goals this season after the 75th minute, which gave the Cologne team a real afterburner in the final stages. Cloakroom keepers are required if Cologne get serious in the final quarter of an hour, as seven of these goals even came in stoppage time.

A talent that is developing

El Mala, who was born on August 26, 2006, is not only an important player for 1. FC Köln, but he also has a close relationship with the national team. DFB coach Julian Nagelsmann called him up to the national team squad in November 2025, although El Mala has not yet been able to collect any playing minutes. However, his qualities and development are undeniably noticed, including due to his role in the U19 national team that reached the semi-finals of the 2025 U19 European Championship. There he was able to deliver four goals and as many assists in six games. Bundesliga highlights that his playing style is very similar to Dem star Kingsley Coman: strong in open space and technically adept.

Coach Lukas Kwasniok appreciates his protégé's potential and emphasizes that the young winger could perhaps be sold for an "unbelievable sum" in the future. Cologne's sports director Thomas Kessler is also impressed by El Mala's development and describes him as one of the best players in the 3rd league. In order to reward his achievements, he was offered a new contract until 2030 shortly before his nomination for the national team. He is supported by his older brother Malek, also a professional footballer, who encouraged him not to give up after the dreary phase at Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2021.

Cologne challenges in everyday league life

Despite the strong individual performances, there are some challenges for 1. FC Köln. In the first twelve league games, Cologne conceded a total of 20 goals, which means they are in midfield in the table. What is particularly worrying is that eleven of these goals conceded came after dead balls. Despite the high chance conversion rate of over 68 percent, the team remains vulnerable on defense.

Cologne have already given up eight points after taking a lead this season, which has led to a high level of disappointment. Games against Stuttgart and Frankfurt, in which they lost after taking an early lead, are particularly painful here. A draw in Wolfsburg, where they were unable to benefit from a successful lead, also shows that the team's safety performance has room for improvement.

In summary, it shows that Saïd El Mala is not only an up-and-coming talent, but also an important piece of the puzzle for 1. FC Köln this season. We can only hope that Cologne can overcome their defensive weaknesses and that El Mala continues to build on this strong form.