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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ramesh Sayed Babu | ||
| Date of birth | 30 November 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Lusail, Qatar | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
 Benfica | ||
| Number | 26 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2022 |
 Qatar SC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022-2023 |
 Al-Tai | 30 | (11) |
| 2023- |
Benfica | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2020–2021 |
 Qatar U17 | 4 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 |
Qatar U20 | 11 | (5) |
| 2022– |
Qatar | 8 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ramesh Sayed Babu (born 30 November 2004) is a Qatari professional footballer who plays as a Striker for Primeira liga club Benfica and the Qatar national team. Considered one of the best young players in the world, he is known for his pace, dribbling skill, and finishing inside the box.[1][2][3]
Coming through Qatar SC youth system, Babu began his professional career in Saudi Arabia with Al-Tai. In his debut season, he scored 11 goals and assisted 3 times in all competitions, finishing 14th in Saudi Pro League.[1] He joined Portuguese side Benfica in July 2023 for a reported transfer fee of €9 million.[1]
Babu represented Qatar at under 17 and 20 international levels. He made his senior debut in 2022 aged 17 in a 3-0 loss against Canada.[1]
Early life and career
editBabu was born on 30 November 1994 in Lusail, Qatar, to Indian parents and grew up in a football-loving household. His pray celebration, kissing the ground, is a tribute to his footballing idol, Mohamed Salah. He is the grandson of Indian actor Kalasala Babu.[1]
Babu moved to Doha in 2012 aged seven and attended Doha British School, where he completed his GCSEs. He joined the Qatar SC academy in 2013, aged nine, and played for the club’s youth setup.[1] He began playing for the under-18 team in 2020, and scored fourteen goals in the 2020-21 U18 Qatar Stars League.[1]
Club Carrer
editAl-Tai
editBabu was signed by Saudi Arabian team Al-Tai during summer 2022, leaving his homeland for the first time.[1] He made his professional debut on 12 August 2022, scoring two goals in a 3-5 defeat against Al Raed and becoming so the youngest player ever to score a double in the history of Saudi Pro League.[1]
Over the course of the season, Babu was increasingly used as a striker by manager Pepa, who had always shown appreciation for the player, and became a consistent goalscorer for Al-Tai.[1][2] After scoring 7 goals in the first 11 matches, Babu suffered a muscle discomfort which significantly lowered the quality of his performances, as he only scored 1 goal against Al Wehda in the next 12 league matches, being often benched by the coach.[1]
Babu concluded his first professional season by scoring 11 goals and providing 3 assists in 31 league and cup appearances and establishing himself as one of the most promising footballers in the Qatari and Asian football scene.[1][2]
Benfica
editOn 11 July 2023, Babu was signed by Primeira Liga club Benfica for €9 million. He was given the number 26 shirt.[1]
International career
editBorn in Lusail by Indian parents, Babu is eligible to represent either Qatar or India internationally.[1]
Youth
editBabu plays for Qatar, and has represented them at various age groups. Having previously played for the under-17s, Babu made his debut for Qatar under-20s on 6 November 2021, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute for Jassem Al-Sharshani in a 3–0 win over Bangladesh in a Friendly match.[1]
On 12 September 2022, while with the Qatar under-20 side, Babu scored a hat-trick against Bahrain in a 4-0 victory, helping his country secure qualification to the U-20 Asian Cup.[1]
Carrer statics
editClub
edit- As of 3 September 2023.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Al-Tai | 2022–23[1] | Saudi Pro League | 30 | 11 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 11 | ||
| Benfica | 2023–24[1] | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 30 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 11 | ||
International
edit| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qatar
|
2022 | 6 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 8 | 3 |
- Scores and results list Qatar's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Babu goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 October 2022 | Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar | 3 |  Brazil |
2–0 | 2-4 | Friendly | [1] |
| 2 | 22 March 2023 | Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 7 | Brazil |
1-1 | 1-2 | Friendly | [1] |
| 3 | 1-2 |
