Background and career
Hilal Bassam El-Helwe (Arabic: هلال بسام الحلوة, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ˈhleːl basˈseːm lˈħɪlwe]; born 24 November 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for German club FC 08 Homburg. Born in Germany, El-Helwe has played for the Lebanon national team.
After playing for five years in Germany for TSV Havelse, VfL Wolfsburg II, and Hallescher FC, El-Helwe moved to Greek club Apollon Smyrnis in 2018. He returned to Germany in 2019, signing for SV Meppen, with whom he played for two years. El-Helwe then moved to Asia in 2021, playing for Al-Faisaly in Jordan, Ahed in Lebanon, Penang in Malaysia, and Bourj in Lebanon. In 2024, El-Helwe returned to Germany and played for SGV Freiberg and FC 08 Homburg.
El-Helwe made his international debut for Lebanon in 2015. He scored a brace against North Korea in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, helping Lebanon win their first-ever game in the competition.
