1. Mehdi Khalil started his senior career in Sierra Leone at Johansen, before moving to Sweden in 2011, first playing at Koping FF before transferring to Djurgarden.
37 Facts About Mehdi Khalil
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Mehdi Khalil won the 2019 AFC Cup with the side, the first in Lebanese history, as the competition's Most Valuable Player.
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In 2020, Mehdi Khalil moved to Iranian side Zob Ahan on a six-month loan, and in 2023 he joined Al-Faisaly in Jordan on a one-year loan.
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Mehdi Khalil returned to Safa on a six-month loan in 2024.
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Mehdi Khalil has represented Lebanon at senior level since 2013.
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Mehdi Khalil played at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, and was Lebanon's main goalkeeper at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
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Mehdi Khalil started playing six-a-side football, a popular form of football in Sierra Leone, at age 12 at Young Sportsmen Club as a defender.
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Mehdi Khalil began his senior career in Sierra Leone in 2009 at Johansen.
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Thanks to Johansen's Scandinavian connections, in March 2011 Mehdi Khalil joined Swedish Division 3 side Koping FF on a three-month loan.
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Between April and June 2011, Mehdi Khalil trained with Allsvenskan clubs AIK and Trelleborg.
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On 20 July 2011, Mehdi Khalil moved to Djurgarden, AIK's rivals, on a four-month loan.
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Mehdi Khalil had been noticed by the club's manager Magnus Pehrsson the previous year at a friendly tournament in Ghana; Khalil was named best goalkeeper of the tournament.
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Mehdi Khalil moved to Safa in the Lebanese Premier League in early 2013, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract.
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Mehdi Khalil was initially a reserve for Ziad Al Samad in his first season.
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On 24 April 2013, Mehdi Khalil was sent off against Regar-TadAZ in the 79th minute, with the opposing team scoring from the subsequent penalty kick.
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Mehdi Khalil participated in the 2014 AFC Cup, playing two games.
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Mehdi Khalil made two appearances in the 2017 AFC Cup.
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In five seasons at the Beirut-based club, Mehdi Khalil won two league titles, one FA Cup, and one Super Cup.
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In July 2017, Mehdi Khalil moved to Lebanese Premier League holders Ahed, for a fee of around $250,000.
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On 7 January 2020, Mehdi Khalil joined Persian Gulf Pro League side Zob Ahan on a six-month loan, reuniting him with former Lebanon national team coach Miodrag Radulovic.
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Mehdi Khalil cited the conditions in his country and the ambiguity surrounding the resumption of sports activity as the reasons for the transfer.
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Mehdi Khalil became the fourth Lebanese player to play for the Iranian side, after Walid Ismail, Ali Hamam, and Rabih Ataya.
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Thanks to his performances in the two fixtures, Mehdi Khalil was included in the Team of the Week on both occasions.
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Mehdi Khalil played 12 league games, helping Ahed to a fourth-place finish with four clean sheets.
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Mehdi Khalil played a game in the 2021 Lebanese Elite Cup, which Ahed won.
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Mehdi Khalil had played his previous league game 16 months prior, against Akhaa, on 23 April 2021.
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Mehdi Khalil became the first foreign goalkeeper to play in the Jordan Super Cup, taking part in the 2023 edition between Al-Faisaly and Al-Wehdat which his side lost.
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On 28 January 2024, Mehdi Khalil returned to former club Safa on a six-month loan from Ahed.
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Mehdi Khalil was called up for Sierra Leone at the under-17 and under-20 levels, without featuring in any match.
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Eligible to represent Lebanon through his parents' nationality, Mehdi Khalil received a call from former Lebanese international player Roda Antar in 2012, who informed him that national team coach Theo Bucker had called him for a training session.
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Mehdi Khalil was part of the squad that played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers between 2015 and 2016; initially Abbas Hassan's reserve for the first three matches, Khalil became Lebanon's first-choice goalkeeper in the final five games of the second round of qualification.
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Mehdi Khalil was included on the 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad as Lebanon's main goalkeeper.
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Mehdi Khalil played all 90 minutes in the three group stage games.
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On 20 August 2021, during a training session in view of the first qualification game against the United Arab Emirates, Mehdi Khalil sustained an ACL injury, keeping him on the sidelines for six months.
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In December 2023, Mehdi Khalil was included in the Lebanese squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
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Mehdi Khalil is a fine shot stopper, and has a tendency to punch balls away from crosses.
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Mehdi Khalil's uncle, Hussein Khalil, was a footballer; he encouraged Mehdi to pursue football as more than a hobby.