Ernest Muçi

Ernest Muçi (born 19 March 2001) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Süper Lig club Beşiktaş and the Albania national team.

Tirana
Born in Albania's capital Tirana, Muçi began his football career at the age of 10 with local clubs Tulipanët and Dinamo Tirana, before moving in 2017 to the team he supported growing up, KF Tirana. He initially joined the club's under-17 team. In January 2018, he would be called up to the senior squad for the first time for a mid-season preparation in Turkey.

Muçi made his professional debut for Tirana as a 16-year-old on 28 January 2018 in a 3–0 win in the Kategoria e Parë against Shkumbini, coming on as a 56th-minute substitute for Bedri Greca. He scored his first senior goal on 3 March 2018 in a 4–1 win over Shënkolli, coming on as a 62nd minute substitute for Alked Çelhaka and scoring in the 78th minute to make it 4–0 for Tirana. He scored again later that month, shortly after his 17th birthday, against Apolonia, scoring twice in a 5–1 home win. He made 11 appearances, including 6 from the start, and scored 3 goals as Tirana won the 2017–18 Kategoria e Parë and secured promotion back to the Kategoria Superiore.

Muçi made his top-flight debut on 2 September 2018 in a 3–1 away defeat to Kukësi, where he also scored in the 61st minute after coming on as a half-time substitute for Yunus Sentamu. He struggled for game time in the first-team, making just 8 league appearances and scoring once in the season as Tirana avoided relegation by 5 points. While struggling for first-team minutes, he was a regular in the U19 side, where he scored 4 goals in 11 games to help Tirana finish 3rd in Group A of the U19 league.

Muçi was one of the most important players in the 2019–20 season, in which Tirana won their 25th league title. Although he was mostly a substitute, he scored some important goals off the bench. On 22 December 2019, Muçi scored a brace in an away win over Laçi. Later on throughout the season, he scored another brace in the historic 5–1 win over cross-town rivals Partizani. He ended the season with 12 goals between league and cup, setting a personal best.

At the start of the 2020-21 season, Muçi signed a new one-year contract with Tirana. With the departure of main striker Michael Ngoo, he became the club's undisputed starter, making 20 league appearances in the first half of the season. Muçi scored his first goal of the season in a 4–1 cup win over Shkumbini. His first league goal of the season came in a 3–2 defeat at Vllaznia on the third matchday. In February 2021, Tirana announced that Muçi would be leaving the club after more than three years in which he scored 23 goals and won two trophies.

Legia Warsaw
On 23 February 2021, Muçi signed with Polish club Legia Warsaw. The club reportedly paid €500,000, with Tirana entitled to ten percent of the amount from the player's next transfer. Muçi made his debut with Legia four days later in a 2–1 away win over Górnik Zabrze, coming off the bench in the second half. He finished the season scoreless in 7 appearances, starting only two matches, as Legia won their 15th Ekstraklasa title.

His first goal for the club came on 24 July, a winner against Wisła Płock on the opening day of the 2021–22 season. Muçi scored his first ever UEFA Champions League goal in the third qualifying round away to Dinamo Zagreb to level the score at 1–1 in the 82nd minute. Legia lost the return leg, but managed to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Muçi made his first appearance of the group stage in a match away to Spartak Moscow on 15 September, where he provided the assist for the winning goal. Muçi finished the season with 6 goals in 36 appearances as Legia went trophyless and finished 10th in the league.

In the 2022–23 season, Muçi made his first appearance on 16 July against Korona Kielce. Starting the game from the first minute, he managed to score a goal, with the match ending in a 1–1 draw. He finished the season with 6 goals in 37 appearances and slowly became a regular starter, starting 29 games as Legia managed to win the Polish Cup and finish third in the league.

Muçi started the 2023–24 season in a 3–0 win over ŁKS Łódź on 21 July. He scored his first goal of the season on 10 August in a UECL third qualifying round home match against Austria Vienna, which ended in a 2–1 defeat for Legia. Legia won the return leg 5–3, with Muçi scoring the last goal, to book their place in the play-off round and eventually qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League. On 21 September, Muçi scored a brace in the match against Aston Villa in the group stage, which Legia eventually won 3–2. Muçi finished his final season at Legia with 9 goals in 34 appearances, scoring 21 goals in total with the club and winning three trophies.

Besiktas
On 9 February 2024, Süper Lig club Beşiktaş announced the signing of Muçi on a three-and-a-half-year contract, for a fee of €10 million, with Legia keeping a 10% sell-on clause. The club's president Hasan Arat picked him up personally on a jet from Warsaw to Istanbul. He became the club's most expensive player ever. Muçi made his debut on 12 February in a 0–0 draw against Kayserispor. He scored his first goal on 25 February in a 2–0 win over İstanbulspor. Muçi finished his first season with Besiktas with 4 goals in 17 appearances and won the Turkish Cup with the club.

Youth
Muçi began his international career in May 2018, when Albania under-19 manager Erjon Bogdani called him up for the friendlies against Kosovo, in which he also earned his first cap. He scored his first goal for the team in a friendly against Iceland on 8 September, which proved to be the only goal of the match in a 1–0 win at the Roza Haxhiu Stadium.

In September 2020, Muçi was called up by manager Alban Bushi for the Albania under-21 team for the first time. He scored a brace in a 5–1 win over Austria in a match for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification on 4 September. On 7 October 2021, he scored another brace in a 2–0 win over Andorra.

Senior
Muçi was called up by Edoardo Reja for the first time in the senior squad on 28 August 2021 for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Poland, but failed to make his debut. He would make his debut in his next call-up on 15 November 2021 in another qualifier against Andorra.

On 20 June 2023, he scored his first goal for the national team in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against the Faroe Islands. His second and third goal would come in two friendlies against Bulgaria on 17 October and Liechtenstein on 3 June 2024.

International goals

 * Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first.

Honours
Tirana
 * Kategoria Superiore: 2019–20
 * Kategoria e Parë: 2017–18

Legia Warsaw
 * Ekstraklasa: 2020–21
 * Polish Cup: 2022–23
 * Polish Super Cup: 2023

Beşiktaş
 * Turkish Cup: 2023–24