Decision made: Benkara stays at BVB long term | OneFootball

Elias Benkara will remain at Borussia Dortmund for the long term. The center-back has extended his contract until 2029 and, despite other offers, is placing his future with BVB.

Borussia Dortmund have tied down a young talent for the long term. Center-back Elias Benkara has extended his contract with the Bundesliga club until June 30, 2029, bringing an end to a period of uncertainty. As his previous deal would have expired this summer, several clubs had shown interest in the 18-year-old.

Alongside Eintracht Frankfurt, international clubs such as Feyenoord Rotterdam and RSC Anderlecht were also reportedly interested, and a free transfer was on the table — but Benkara made a conscious decision to stay at BVB. The 1.93-meter-tall defender, who moved from 1. FSV Mainz 05 to Dortmund in 2021, has steadily worked his way through the youth ranks since then and is now heading into his sixth season at the club.

In the current campaign, he has featured for both the U19s and the U23s and recently even established himself as a regular starter for the second team. Overall, he has played for both sides this season and made ten appearances in the Regionalliga, among other competitions.

Elias Benkara signs new BVB contract until 2029

At the same time, the former Germany U17 international, who has chosen to represent Algeria internationally, gained his first experience around the senior setup. He has already been included in the first-team matchday squad several times — including in the Bundesliga and the Champions League. His biggest moment so far: being named in the squad for the Champions League home match against FC Barcelona in December 2024.

Photo: IMAGO

He was also called up to the Algeria senior national team for the first time in November 2025 and took part in a training camp. Despite this progress, Benkara is still waiting for his professional debut. Injuries have also set him back at times, but he is still regarded as a promising option for the future.

At BVB, the defender is highly rated internally. U23 sporting director Ingo Preuß sees the contract extension as a clear signal of the club’s strategic direction: “By extending Elias’ contract, our path of wanting to promote talent from our own academy is reaffirmed,” he said, adding: “We’re delighted that he will continue on this path with us.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.