Salim Khelifi

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Salim Khelifi

| fullname =

| image = Salim Khelifi (L), Muhamed Demiri (R) - Lausanne Sport vs. FC Thun - 22.10.2011 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Khelifi in 2011

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1994|1|26}}

| birth_place = Lausanne, Switzerland

| height = 1.73 m{{cite web |title=Salim Khelifi |url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/squads/f35u25047d9vmzt6j20fd29cl?slug=f35u25047d9vmzt6j20fd29cl&competition=52kxi893484fk75l1h7sndlp0&teams=9xmhnv6im8h7c9e17oqvcx8gl&selected=MEN |website=Melbourne Victory |access-date=1 April 2024}}

| position = Winger

| currentclub = Puerto Cabello

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2002–2007 | youthclubs1 = Bex

| youthyears2 = 2007–2009 | youthclubs2 = Vevey-Sports

| youthyears3 = 2009 | youthclubs3 = Bex

| youthyears4 = 2009–2011 | youthclubs4 = Lausanne-Sport

| years1 = 2011–2013 | clubs1 = Lausanne-Sport | caps1 = 76 | goals1 = 6

| years2 = 2014–2015 | clubs2 = Eintracht Braunschweig II | caps2 = 6 | goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2014–2018 | clubs3 = Eintracht Braunschweig | caps3 = 86 | goals3 = 11

| years4 = 2018–2022 | clubs4 = Zürich | caps4 = 41 | goals4 = 5

| years5 = 2020–2022 | clubs5 = Zürich II | caps5 = 9 | goals5 = 6

| years6 = 2019–2020 | clubs6 = → Holstein Kiel (loan) | caps6 = 9 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2022–2024 | clubs7 = Perth Glory | caps7 = 24 | goals7 = 3

| years8 = 2024 | clubs8 = → Melbourne Victory (loan) | caps8 = 16 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2025- | clubs9 = Puerto Cabello | caps9 = 8 | goals9 = 1

| nationalyears1 = 2010–2011

| nationalteam1 = Switzerland U17

| nationalcaps1 = 14

| nationalgoals1 = 2

| nationalyears2 = 2011–2013

| nationalteam2 = Switzerland U19

| nationalcaps2 = 18

| nationalgoals2 = 2

| nationalyears3 = 2013–2016

| nationalteam3 = Switzerland U21

| nationalcaps3 = 11

| nationalgoals3 = 1

| nationalyears4 = 2019

| nationalteam4 = Tunisia

| nationalcaps4 = 2

| nationalgoals4 = 0

| club-update = 30 May 2025

| nationalteam-update = 12 September 2020

}}

Salim Khelifi (born 26 January 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Puerto Cabello. Born in Switzerland, he was a youth international for Switzerland before representing the Tunisia national team.

Club career

=Lausanne-Sport=

Khelifi made his professional debut on 6 August 2012 for Lausanne-Sport against Servette in a Swiss Super League match. He scored his first league goal for the club on 17 November 2012 in a 3–0 home win against Thun.

=Eintracht Braunschweig=

In January 2014 Khelifi joined Eintracht Braunschweig, who played in the Bundesliga at the time.{{cite news|url=https://www.kicker.de/braunschweig-packt-khelifi-aus-598733/artikel|title=Braunschweig packt Khelifi aus|publisher=Kicker|language=German |date=30 January 2014|access-date=30 January 2014}} He made his debut in the Bundesliga on 3 May 2014, replacing Karim Bellarabi in the 88th minute of Braunschweig's home game against FC Augsburg.{{cite news|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2014/05/03/germany/bundesliga/braunschweiger-tsv-eintracht-von-1895-ev/fc-augsburg/1487319/|title= Match report|publisher=soccerway.com |date=3 May 2014|accessdate=4 May 2014}}

=FC Zürich=

On 21 June 2018, Khelifi signed a three-year contract with Swiss side FC Zürich.{{cite news|url=https://www.fcz.ch/de/profis/news/2018/fc-zurich-verpflichtet-salim-khelifi/|title=Der FC Zürich verpflichtet Mittelfeldspieler Salim Khelifi|publisher=fcz.ch|date=21 June 2018|accessdate=22 June 2018|archive-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622165939/https://www.fcz.ch/de/profis/news/2018/fc-zurich-verpflichtet-salim-khelifi/|url-status=dead}}

On 23 August 2019, Khelifi joined Holstein Kiel on a season-long loan deal with an option to make the deal permanent.{{cite web|url=https://www.holstein-kiel.de/allgemein/salim-khelifi-kommt-vom-schweizer-erstligisten-fc-zuerich/|title=Salim Khelifi kommt von FC Zürich nach Holstein Kiel|publisher=Holstein Kiel|language=German|date=23 August 2019|accessdate=23 August 2019}}

On 21 May 2022, Zürich announced that Khelifi's contract will not be extended.{{cite web|publisher=FC Zürich|url=https://www.fcz.ch/en/first-team/news/2022/vier-auslaufende-vertrage-werden-nicht-verlangert/|title=Four expiring contracts will not be renewed|date=21 May 2022|access-date=28 June 2022}}

=Perth Glory=

In September 2022, Khelifi joined Australian A-League Men club Perth Glory on a one-year contract.{{cite web|url=https://perthglory.com.au/news/glory-swoop-for-tunisian-international-winger|title=Glory swoop for Tunisian international winger|website=Perth Glory|first=Gareth|last=Morgan|date=15 September 2022}} In December 2022, his contract was extended for another two seasons.{{Cite web |first=Gareth|last=Morgan |date=30 December 2022 |title=ALM Squad Update: Khelifi signs new deal, Azubel departs |url=https://perthglory.com.au/news/alm-squad-update-khelifi-signs-new-deal-azubel-departs |website=Perth Glory}}

In January 2024, Khelifi was loaned to Melbourne Victory for the remainder of the 2023-24 A-League. Perth Glory confirmed that it was not their decision to accept the loan offer, but they were instructed to do so by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL).{{Cite web|url=https://perthglory.com.au/news/khelifi-departs-club-on-loan|title=Khelifi departs club on loan|website=Perth Glory FC|date=19 January 2024}} Perth Glory was in administration at the time as attempts were made to find a buyer for the club, and they were also blocked from signing any new players or extending any loans.{{Cite web|url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/perth-glory/a-league-men-perth-glory-say-australian-professional-leagues-behind-decision-for-them-to-loan-salim-khelifi-c-13284136|title=A-League Men: Perth Glory say Australian Professional Leagues behind decision for them to loan Salim Khelifi

|website=The West Australian|date=19 January 2024}}

International career

Khelifi debuted for the Tunisia national team in a 1–0 friendly win over Mauritania on 6 September 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://ca.soccerway.com/matches/2019/09/06/world/friendlies/tunisia/mauritania/3147838/?ICID=HP_MS_03_05|title=Tunisia vs. Mauritania - 6 September 2019 - Soccerway|website=ca.soccerway.com}}