Mohamed Ihattaren's Remarkable Comeback at Fortuna Sittard

Mohamed Ihattaren is back in the spotlight – and this time it’s for the right reasons.

In the Netherlands, the 24-year-old attacking midfielder is piecing his career together at Fortuna Sittard, and against ADO Den Haag he delivered the kind of performance that once made Europe sit up and take notice. Two goals, one assist, a 3-2 win. A reminder of what he can be when the noise dies down and the ball does the talking.

A match that suited his talent

Fortuna needed a spark. Ihattaren supplied it.

He was involved all night, but his second goal carried the weight of the occasion. With Fortuna protecting a fragile lead, a defensive mistake from ADO opened the door. Ihattaren pounced, gliding past his marker before whipping a left-footed strike that crashed off the underside of the crossbar and dropped over the line. A ruthless finish, the kind that kills a game and lifts a stadium.

That strike effectively sealed the victory and underlined his growing influence. Across the opening weeks of the new season, Ihattaren now has three goals and two assists in five matches. Fortuna, fuelled by his resurgence, have climbed to fourth in the table. For a player who has spent years drifting, those numbers feel like a lifeline.

At last, regular football

The foundation for this revival was laid last season. In the 2025/26 campaign, Ihattaren finally enjoyed something resembling continuity. He played 28 league matches for Fortuna, scoring six goals and adding 10 assists. Not spectacular on paper, but crucial in context: it was his first sustained run of regular football after years of interruptions, false starts and stalled moves.

Fortuna coach Danny Buijs, who has worked with him for 15 months, knows exactly what is at stake. Speaking to ESPN, Buijs made it clear he wants to keep a lid on the hype. His message is simple: less spotlight, more work. Ihattaren, he believes, needs to stay away from the circus, focus on training, and let performances like the one against ADO Den Haag define this chapter of his career.

The approach is deliberate. For a player whose story has so often played out in headlines and social media storms, the calm of Sittard might be his best ally.

From PSV prodigy to lost years

Ihattaren’s journey to this point has never been straightforward.

Born in Utrecht, he exploded onto the scene at PSV, a teenager with vision, flair and a left foot that seemed built for big stages. In 2019, at just 17, he produced such a commanding display against Ajax that former Netherlands international Pierre van Hooijdonk called him the best player on the pitch. It felt like the start of something inevitable.

Then life intervened. The death of his father in October 2019 hit him hard. Ihattaren later said his father was “everything” to him. The loss cut deep, and his career began to fray at the edges.

In 2021, he left PSV and signed a four-year contract with Juventus. On paper, it was a dream move. On the pitch, it never began. A loan spell at Sampdoria yielded not a single appearance. A subsequent stint at Ajax ended without a permanent deal. In 2023, a move to Turkish club Samsunspor collapsed, and at Slavia Prague he did not play a single minute. A talent once tipped for the top drifted further from the spotlight, his name more associated with what-ifs than with match-winning moments.

A new identity – and a new target

Now, in Sittard, the story is changing again.

In 2025, Ihattaren announced his intention to represent Morocco at international level. He had previously played for the Netherlands youth teams but has yet to debut for the senior side of either country. The choice adds another layer to his narrative: a player rebuilding his club career while reshaping his international future.

For now, the equation is clear. If he keeps playing, keeps producing, keeps nights like the ADO Den Haag performance coming, the calls from national team selectors – whether in Amsterdam or Rabat – will be impossible to ignore.

The numbers at Fortuna are starting to stack up. The confidence is returning. The question now is not whether Mohamed Ihattaren still has the talent. It’s how far this second act can take him.