El Khannouss celebrates Champions League debut after Stuttgart victory

VfB Stuttgart and Morocco forward Bilal El Khannouss says he has fulfilled a long-held ambition after making his UEFA Champions League debut.

The 22-year-old played for 71 minutes in Stuttgart’s 3-1 win over Norwegian club Viking FK last week before being substituted.

“I was very excited because I have never played in the Champions League before,” El Khannouss told the Bundesliga website.

“I’ve played in almost every competition in my young career, but the only one I was missing was the Champions League. I played my first game last Wednesday. So yes, I was very happy with it, and I hope we’re going to have a great campaign.”

El Khannouss recently completed a permanent move to the German club after spending the 2025/26 campaign on loan from English League One side Leicester City.

The attacker said he remains focused on achieving bigger ambitions during his career, including representing some of the world’s leading clubs.

“I’m still young, I’m 22, and I have dreams that I want to keep fighting for until they come true,” he added.

“My dreams are to play for the biggest clubs in the world, and I will keep working towards them. I think this is the right place to be, to grow as a player and to make the next step.”

El Khannouss will now hope to help Stuttgart improve their domestic position. The club sit 14th in the table after recording one win and two draws.

Their next league fixture is a home match against second-placed Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.