Samy Merheg

In this Lebanese name, the father's name is Habib and the family name is Merheg.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Merheg and the second or maternal family name is Enciso.
Samy Merheg
Personal information
Full name Samy Habib Merheg[1]
Birth name Samy Merheg Enciso[2]
Date of birth (2006-12-06) 6 December 2006
Place of birth Pereira, Colombia[1]
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[3]
Position Striker
Team information
Current team
 Braga
Number 11
Youth career
2014–2016 Salam Zgharta
2016–2017 Marcet
2017–2018 Sant Cugat
2018–2019 Cornellà
2021 VyV Mi Nuevo Tolima
2022 Rosario Central
2023–2024 Deportivo Pereira
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024–2025 Deportivo Pereira 28 (5)
2026– Braga B 5 (3)
2026– Braga 0 (0)
International career‡
2022 Lebanon U16 2 (1)
2024 Lebanon U20 1 (0)
2024– Lebanon 12 (7)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15 March 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 November 2025

Samy Habib Merheg[note 1] (Arabic: سامي حبيب مرهج; born 6 December 2006) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Portuguese club Braga. Born in Colombia, he plays for the Lebanon national team.

Early life

Merheg was born in Pereira, Risaralda Department, Colombia, to politician Habib Merheg and Juliana Enciso, a politician and former volleyball player.[4][5] His father is of Lebanese descent from both parents.[6] His maternal uncle is former professional footballer Leonardo Enciso,[5][7] and his paternal uncle is politician Juan Samy Merheg.[8]

Club career

Youth

Merheg began his football career in Lebanon at age seven, training with Salam Zgharta's academy[9] and their affiliated Koura Football Academy.[10] In 2016, he moved to Spain, where he played for Marcet[11] (including their partner club Tecnofútbol),[12] as well as Sant Cugat[13] and Cornellà.[9]

After his time in Spain, Merheg moved to Colombia in 2019, playing for the Risaralda Department representative youth team until 2020.[14] In 2021, he joined VyV Mi Nuevo Tolima, scoring six goals in 10 matches for their under-15 side.[15] Although he signed with Argentine side Rosario Central in 2022,[4] registration issues due to his age prevented his participation in AFA-sanctioned competitions, prompting his return to Colombia.[7] There, he joined Deportivo Pereira in 2023,[14] where scored eight goals in five matches with the under-17s,[14][15] and five goals in 10 matches with the under-20s.[14]

Deportivo Pereira

On 17 February 2024, aged 17 years and 73 days, Merheg made his professional debut with Deportivo Pereira, starting and playing 58 minutes in a 1–0 win against Santa Fe, before being replaced by Andrés Ibargüen.[5] He finished the 2024 season with five games in all competitions.[16]

On 15 April 2025, Merheg scored his first goal for Deportivo Pereira and provided an assist in a 2–0 win against Deportivo Cali.[17] He scored a brace on 27 August 2025, including a 90+5th minute winner, helping his side defeat Real Cundinamarca 4–3 in the Copa Colombia.[18] On 18 November 2025, after scoring eight goals and providing three assists in 29 appearances during the 2025 season,[13] Merheg announced his departure from Deportivo Pereira, a decision that came amid the club's ongoing financial difficulties and contractual issues affecting the squad.[19]

Braga

On 30 December 2025, Primeira Liga side Braga announced the signing of Merheg on a free transfer, effective from 1 January 2026; he signed a contract running until the summer of 2028, with an option for two additional seasons.[13] Merheg was first called up on 14 January 2026 for a Taça de Portugal quarter-final against AD Fafe, remaining an unused substitute.[20] He made his debut for the reserve team, Braga B, on 15 February 2026, starting in a Liga 3 match against AD Fafe, which ended in a 2–1 defeat.[21] His first goals came on 22 February, scoring twice for the reserves in a 2–0 win against Marco 09.[22]

International career

Born in Colombia, Merheg was eligible to represent both Colombia and Lebanon at the international level, as his paternal grandparents were from Lebanon.[6]

Merheg played for the Lebanon under-16 team in two friendly matches against Malta in November 2022,[23] scoring in the second game on 10 November.[24] In July 2024, he was called up to the Colombia under-20 team for a micro-cycle.[25] The following month he was called up to the Lebanon under-20 team for the first time.[26] He made his debut in 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualification, playing 90 minutes in a 3–2 loss to the United Arab Emirates.[27]

Merheg received his first call-up to the Lebanon national team on 5 November 2024 for friendly matches against Thailand and Myanmar.[28] He made his international debut on 14 November 2024 at the age of 17 years and 344 days, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute in a 0–0 draw against Thailand.[29] Five days later, he scored his first international goals with a brace in a 3–2 victory over Myanmar.[30] On 20 March 2025, Merheg added another brace in a 4–0 friendly win against Timor-Leste, taking his goal tally to five in his first five appearances for Lebanon.[31] He continued his scoring form in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, netting his sixth goal in six games during a 5–0 win over Brunei five days later.[32]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 15 March 2026[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Deportivo Pereira 2024 Categoría Primera A 3 0 2 0 — — 5 0
2025 Categoría Primera A 25 5 4 3 — — 29 8
Total 28 5 6 3 0 0 0 0 34 8
Braga B 2025–26 Liga 3 5 3 — — — 5 3
Braga 2025–26 Primeira Liga 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
Career total 33 8 6 3 0 0 0 0 39 11

International

As of match played 26 November 2025[33]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Lebanon 2024 4 3
2025 8 4
Total 12 7
Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Merheg goal.
List of international goals scored by Samy Merheg
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 19 November 2024 Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar  Myanmar 2–2 3–2 Friendly
2 3–2
3 12 December 2024 Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Kuwait 2–1 2–1 Friendly
4 20 March 2025 Al-Khor SC Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar  Timor-Leste 3–0 4–0 Friendly
5 4–0
6 25 March 2025 Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, Al-Wakrah, Qatar  Brunei 2–0 5–0 2027 Asian Cup qualification
7 18 November 2025 Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei  Brunei 2–0 3–0 2027 Asian Cup qualification

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In Colombia, his full name is Samy Merheg Enciso.

References

  1. ^ a b "Samy Merheg". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Nomina de jugadores" [List of players] (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Samy Merheg". S.C. Braga (in Portuguese). Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  4. ^ a b Rodríguez Hernández, Alvaro (8 April 2022). "Pereirano fichado por el club argentino Rosario Central" [Pereirano signed by Argentine club Rosario Central]. eje21.com.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Samy Merheg con sangre de deportista" [Samy Merheg with athlete's blood]. deportivopereira.com.co (in Spanish). 17 February 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b Muñoz Camargo, David Santiago (29 September 2025). "Samy Merheg, la joven promesa que se perdió Colombia: "No me dieron la mano en la Federación"". Caracol Radio (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b Parra Cuenca, Daniel (22 May 2024). "El delantero de paso por América y Selección Colombia que le da empleo a 120 personas" [The forward who passed through América and the Colombian National Team and who employs 120 people]. noticiascaracol.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  8. ^ Semana (7 March 2019). ""Habib no está metido en este tema político": Juan Samy Merheg". Semana.com Últimas Noticias de Colombia y el Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  9. ^ a b Damoury, Myriam (20 November 2024). موهبة واعدة في كرة القدم اللبنانية [A promising talent in Lebanese football]. Nidaa Al Watan (in Arabic). Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  10. ^ "يواجه منتخب طاجيكستان اليوم: انطلاقة جديدة للبنان بعنوان التغيير" [Tajikistan national team faces today: A new start for Lebanon under the title of change]. al-akhbar.com (in Arabic). 4 September 2024. Archived from the original on 24 December 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  11. ^ "KFA player Samy Merheg 2006". KOURA Football Academy. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2025 – via Facebook. For all this reasons he has been elected to play in the 2006 team for the present League Title. Marset football school Spain
  12. ^ "El Cadete A golea antes de viajar a Dubai" [The Cadet A team scores a goal before travelling to Dubai]. fcbarcelona.es (in Spanish). 13 March 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Samy Merheg é reforço até 2028" [Samy Merheg is a new signing until 2028] (in Portuguese). S.C. Braga. 30 December 2025. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  14. ^ a b c d Campo, Hugo (20 February 2024). "Samy Merheg Enciso: debut profesional recién cumplidos los 17 años" [Samy Merheg Enciso: professional debut just after turning 17]. blogdelasestadisticas.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b Campo, Hugo (1 August 2023). "'Profe' Restrepo… atrévase con Samy Merheg y Enmanuel Marín" ['Profe' Restrepo… dares with Samy Merheg and Enmanuel Marín.]. blogdelasestadisticas.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b Samy Merheg at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Deportivo Pereira Triumphs 2–0 Over Deportivo Cali". The Pinnacle Gazette. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Así quedaron los octavos de la Copa BetPlay tras la clasificación de Millonarios". El Espectador (in Spanish). 27 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Joya del FPC confirmó su salida de club campeón en Liga BetPlay" [FPC jewel confirms his departure from the Liga BetPlay champion club] (in Spanish). Win Sports. 18 November 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  20. ^ Gonçalves, André (6 February 2026). "Merheg apura os índices físicos em busca da estreia" [Merheg is improving his physical condition in preparation for his debut] (in Portuguese). Record. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  21. ^ "Fafe vence SC Braga B após reviravolta" [Fafe defeats SC Braga B after a comeback victory] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 15 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  22. ^ "Samy Merheg bisa e Gverreiros vencem AD Marco" [Samy Merheg scores twice and Gverreiros beat AD Marco] (in Portuguese). S.C. Braga. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  23. ^ فوز منتخب الناشئين على نظيره المالطي في الوديّة الأولى ضمن معسكره الخارجي [The junior national team defeated its Maltese counterpart in the first friendly match within its external camp]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 8 November 2022. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  24. ^ خسارة منتخب الناشئين امام مالطا في المباراة الوديّة الثانية [The junior national team lost to Malta in the second friendly match]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  25. ^ "Convocatoria de la Selección Colombia Masculina Sub 20 para microciclo de trabajo – julio 2024" [Call-up of the Colombian Men's Under-20 Team for a work microcycle – July 2024]. fcf.com.co (in Spanish). 15 July 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  26. ^ Arbelaez, Gustavo (24 August 2024). "Jugador de la Liga BetPlay fue convocado por exótica selección asiática; irá a microciclo" [BetPlay League player was called up by exotic Asian team; he will go to microcycle]. pulzo.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  27. ^ لبنان يخسر أمام الإمارات 3–2 في تصفيات كأس آسيا للشباب [Lebanon loses to the United Arab Emirates 3–2 in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 21 September 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  28. ^ منتخب لبنان يستعيد حضوره الدولي و٣ مغتربين جدد ينضمون اليه [Lebanon national team regains its international presence and three new expatriates join it] (in Arabic). Lebanese Football Association. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Match Report of Thailand vs Lebanon". Global Sports Archive. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  30. ^ "Match Report of Myanmar vs Lebanon". Global Sports Archive. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  31. ^ فوز وديّ برباعية للبنان وتكريم لقائده حيدر بمناسبة مئويته [A friendly 4–0 victory for Lebanon and a tribute to Lebanese captain Haidar on the occasion of his 100th cap]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 20 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  32. ^ لبنان يتصدّر مجموعته في تصفيات كأس آسيا بفوزٍ كبير على بروناي [Lebanon tops its group in the Asian Cup qualifiers with a resounding victory over Brunei]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 25 March 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
  33. ^ "Samy Merheg". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
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