Meet Riyad Mahrez’s Siblings: Dounya Mahrez, Innes Mahrez, and Wahid Mahrez

Riyad Mahrez, the celebrated Algerian winger currently playing for Al-Ahli and serving as captain of the Algeria national team, was raised in a tight-knit family environment in Sarcelles, a working-class suburb north of Paris.

Born Riyad Karim Mahrez on 21 February 1991 in Sarcelles, France, he is 34 years old. He holds dual French and Algerian nationality and is of Algerian ethnicity. His father, Ahmed Mahrez, was Algerian from Beni Snous in Tlemcen Province, while his mother, Halima Mahrez—sometimes referred to as Saliha—has Algerian and Moroccan heritage.

A practising Muslim, Mahrez spent his childhood in France while regularly traveling to Algeria during school holidays, maintaining strong cultural ties to his roots.

Mahrez’s upbringing was shaped by both community support and personal hardship. At the age of 15, he lost his father to a heart attack, a devastating event that became a defining source of motivation in his football journey.

He is the eldest son in a family of four children and has one older brother, Wahid (also spelled Walid), who stepped into a fatherly role after their father’s death and strongly encouraged his career ambitions. He also has two younger sisters, Dounya and Innes (sometimes spelled Ines), who have largely remained outside public attention.

He committed himself to football early, joining AAS Sarcelles’ youth system in 2004. He stands 1.79 metres (5 feet 10 inches) tall.

Mahrez’s personal life has included two marriages. In 2015, he married English woman Rita Johal, with whom he has two daughters, Inaya Mahrez and Ayla Mahrez. The couple separated around 2020–2021.

He later began a relationship with model Taylor Ward, the daughter of British reality television star Dawn Ward. They became engaged in 2021 and formalised their union through several ceremonies, including an Islamic nikah in 2022, a legal marriage in 2023, and a large celebratory wedding in 2024.

Together, Mahrez and Taylor Ward have two children: a daughter, Mila Mahrez, born in July 2022, and a son, Khayri Mahrez, born in November 2025, bringing Mahrez’s total number of children to four.

Despite achieving global football stardom, Mahrez has remained closely connected to his family, who continue to provide stability and grounding amid his professional success. While he has reached the highest levels of the sport, his siblings have chosen to lead private lives, rooted in their shared French-Algerian background.

Dounya Mahrez

Dounya Mahrez is one of Riyad‘s two sisters, often described as a younger sibling in family accounts. She has been involved in business, co-owning a beauty salon in Paris called “The 26 Beauty” with her sister, Innes.

In 2020, Dounya and Innes made headlines when they were reportedly attacked by a group at their salon following a dispute with a customer. Dounya spoke publicly about the incident, expressing shock and suggesting it might have been linked to their connection to Riyad.

More joyfully, in 2022, Riyad attended Dounya‘s wedding in Paris, highlighting the strong family bonds. Dounya maintains a low public profile but shares glimpses of her life on social media, often emphasizing her closeness to her brother.

Innes Mahrez

Innes Mahrez (sometimes spelled Ines or Innes in reports) is Riyad‘s other sister, also younger than him. Like Dounya, she co-runs the family beauty salon in Paris and was involved in the same 2020 incident.

Innes has been described as entrepreneurial and family-oriented, with past social media posts showing her enjoying time with loved ones, including outings in Paris. She has kept a relatively private life away from the media glare that follows her famous brother, focusing on her business and personal relationships.

Reports highlight the sisters’ hard work and resilience, traits that echo Riyad‘s own journey from humble beginnings to stardom.

Wahid Mahrez

Wahid Mahrez (also referred to as Walid or Wahid in various sources) is Riyad‘s elder brother and has played a supportive role in his career. Described as a father figure after the passing of their father, Ahmed, when Riyad was 15, Wahid has been credited with encouraging Riyad‘s football ambitions and even influencing key decisions, such as his move to Leicester City.

He has accompanied Riyad during significant moments, such as medicals and celebrations, and has publicly expressed pride in his younger brother’s achievements. Wahid maintains a low-key presence but remains a pillar of support in the Mahrez family.

Riyad‘s siblings have provided a grounding influence throughout his extraordinary career, from his breakthrough at Leicester City to his successes with Manchester City and now Al-Ahli. Though they prefer privacy, their occasional appearances underscore the importance of family in Riyad‘s life, helping him stay connected to his roots amid global fame.

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