{{short description|Belgian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Maxime Lestienne | image = CSKA-PSV (2).jpg | image_size = | caption = Lestienne playing for [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]] in a [[2015–16 UEFA Champions League|UEFA Champions League]] match against [[Atletico Madrid]] in 2016 | full_name = Maxime Christophe Lestienne<ref>{{cite web |url=http://actas.rfef.es/actas/RFEF_CmpActa1?cod_primaria=1000144&CodActa=47492 |title=Acta del Partido celebrado el 10 de febrero de 2018, en Málaga |trans-title=Minutes of the Match held on 10 February 2018, in Málaga |publisher=Royal Spanish Football Federation |access-date=12 November 2019 |language=es }}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|06|17|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Mouscron]], Belgium | height = 1.78 m | position = [[Winger (association football)|Winger]] | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = 1996–2008 | youthclubs1 = [[R.E. Mouscron|Mouscron]] | years1 = 2008–2009 | clubs1 = [[R.E. Mouscron|Mouscron]] | caps1 = 20 | goals1 = 3 | years2 = 2010–2014 | clubs2 = [[Club Brugge KV|Club Brugge]] | caps2 = 127 | goals2 = 38 | years3 = 2014–2016 | clubs3 = [[Al-Arabi SC (Qatar)|Al-Arabi]] | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2014–2015 | clubs4 = → [[Genoa CFC|Genoa]] (loan) | caps4 = 23 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2015–2016 | clubs5 = → [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]] (loan) | caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2016–2018 | clubs6 = [[FC Rubin Kazan|Rubin Kazan]] | caps6 = 23 | goals6 = 5 | years7 = 2018 | clubs7 = → [[Málaga CF|Málaga]] (loan) | caps7 = 12 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2018–2022 | clubs8 = [[Standard Liège]] | caps8 = 95 | goals8 = 17 | years9 = 2022–2025 | clubs9 = [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]] | caps9 = 80 | goals9 = 55 | nationalyears1 = 2007 | nationalteam1 = [[Belgium national youth football team|Belgium U15]] | nationalcaps1 = 4 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | nationalyears2 = 2007–2008 | nationalteam2 = [[Belgium national youth football team|Belgium U16]] | nationalcaps2 = 11 | nationalgoals2 = 5 | nationalyears3 = 2009 | nationalteam3 = [[Belgium national under-17 football team|Belgium U17]] | nationalcaps3 = 5 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | nationalyears4 = 2009 | nationalteam4 = [[Belgium national under-18 football team|Belgium U18]] | nationalcaps4 = 1 | nationalgoals4 = 1 | nationalyears5 = 2009–2011 | nationalteam5 = [[Belgium national under-19 football team|Belgium U19]] | nationalcaps5 = 13 | nationalgoals5 = 4 | nationalyears6 = 2010–2013 | nationalteam6 = [[Belgium national under-21 football team|Belgium U21]] | nationalcaps6 = 7 | nationalgoals6 = 1 | club-update = 18 October 2025 | nationalteam-update = }} '''Maxime Christophe Lestienne''' ({{IPA|fr|maksim lɛstjɛn}}; born 17 June 1992) is a Belgian professional [[association football|footballer]] who last played as a [[winger (association football)|winger]] for [[Singapore Premier League]] club [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]]. He was also part of the [[Belgium national football team|Belgium national team]] after being called up in 2013 and 2019.
Lestienne is widely regarded as the greatest player in [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]] history, as well as one of the greatest players in [[Singapore Premier League]] history.
==Club career== ===Mouscron=== Lestienne came up through the youth ranks at Royal Excelsior [[R.E. Mouscron|Mouscron]]. At the time of his debut in the senior squad on 20 December 2008, Mouscron was competing in the [[Belgian First Division]]. Lestienne came on as a substitute for [[Asanda Sishuba]] in the 80th minute of a 5–1 home victory against [[Club Brugge]].<ref>[http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/voetbal/2.4981?pid=761226&cid=48 Player info at sporza.be] {{in lang|nl}}</ref>
===Club Brugge=== After the bankruptcy of [[R.E. Mouscron|Mouscron]] in 2009, Lestienne became available on a free transfer. Despite interest from English side [[Everton F.C|Everton]] and Dutch side [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]],<ref>[http://www.footgoal.net/suite.php?selection=48820 Officiel : Lestienne à Bruges] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109093732/http://www.footgoal.net/suite.php?selection=48820 |date=9 January 2010 }}</ref> Lestienne eventually signed a contract with [[Club Brugge]] on 6 January 2010. He helped his club to a 3–3 draw to [[Sint-Truidense V.V.|Sint-Truidense]] after scoring and assisting in a league match on 7 August 2011. Lestienne scored a brace in a league match against [[K Beerschot VA|Beerschot]] in a 5–1 thrashing win on 5 February 2012. Lestienne scored his first hat-trick for the club in the [[Bruges derby]] on 23 September 2012 against [[Cercle Brugge KSV|Cercle Brugge]]. On 17 November 2012, Lestienne scored one and assisted four times in a 2–6 away win against [[S.K. Beveren|Beveren]]. On 28 September 2013, he scored the only goal in the match securing a 3 points for his team against [[RAEC Mons (1910)|RAEC Mons]]. After four seasons with Club Brugge making a total of 39 goals and 35 assists in 157 appearances across all competition, Lestienne left the club.
===Al-Arabi=== On 31 August 2014, Lestienne moved overseas to joined Qatari side, [[Al-Arabi SC (Qatar)|Al-Arabi]] on a permanent transfer.
====Loan to Genoa==== However, Lestienne was loaned out to [[Serie A]] club [[Genoa C.F.C.|Genoa]] until the end of the [[2014–15 Serie A|2014–15 season]] almost immediately after signing for Qatari side [[Al-Arabi SC (Qatar)|Al-Arabi]]. He make his debut for the club on 21 September 2014 in a 1–0 win over [[SS Lazio|Lazio]]. On 18 January 2015, he got himself a brace of assist as his club settled in a 3–3 draw against [[US Sassuolo Calcio|Sassuolo]]. Lestienne scored his first goal for the club equalising for his team which Genoa went on to win [[Inter Milan]] 3–2 on 23 May 2015.
====Loan to PSV==== On 12 July 2015, Lestienne was loaned out to [[Eredivisie]] club [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]] until the end of the [[2015–16 Eredivisie|2015–16 season]]. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win over [[Feyenoord]] on 30 August 2015. In the [[2015–16 UEFA Champions League]] group stage fixture against [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] on 15 September 2015, Lestienne assisted twice to [[Héctor Moreno]] and [[Luciano Narsingh]] to secured a 2–1 home victory.<ref>{{Citation |title=PSV 2-1 Manchester United Classic Matches 2O16 | date=20 June 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krvFKZqylGc |access-date=2023-10-09 |language=en}}</ref> On 30 September 2015, Lestienne scored a brace in the UEFA Champions League match against [[PFC CSKA Moscow|CSKA Moscow]] but fell short to a 3–2 defeat to the Russian club. Lestienne then helped the club to win the league title and also the [[Johan Cruyff Shield]]. Despite scoring 3 goals and contributing 10 assists in 19 appearances across all competition, PSV decided not to exercise its option to buy the player at the end of the loan spell.
===Rubin Kazan=== [[File:Maxime Lestienne 2017.jpg|thumb|238x238px|Lestienne with [[Rubin Kazan]] in a league match against [[FC Spartak Moscow|Spartak Moscow]] in 2017]]On 5 July 2016, Lestienne moved to [[Russian Premier League]] club [[FC Rubin Kazan|Rubin Kazan]] ahead of the [[2016–17 Russian Premier League|2016–17 season]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[PSV Eindhoven]]|url=https://twitter.com/PSV/status/750341153958932480|title=Lestienne vertrekt voor vier seizoenen naar Roebin Kazan.|language=nl|date=5 July 2016}}</ref> He scored on his debut 10 minutes after coming on as a substitution helping his team to a 3–1 win over [[FC Ural Yekaterinburg|Ural Yekaterinburg]] on 12 September 2016. On 10 April 2017, Lestienne scored a brace to help his team to secured a 2–2 draw against [[FC Tom Tomsk|Tom Tomsk]].
====Loan to Málaga==== On 31 January 2018, Lestienne joined [[La Liga]] club [[Málaga CF|Málaga]] on loan until the end of the [[2017–18 La Liga]] season.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Málaga CF]]|url=https://www.malagacf.com/noticia/lestienne-un-asistente-zurdo-para-la-banda|title=Lestienne, un asistente zurdo para la banda|date=31 January 2018|language=es}}</ref> He make his debut for the club in a 2–1 lost to Valencia on 17 February. Lestienne then contribute an assist to [[Youssef En-Nesyri]] in the 13th minute, however, Malaga fall to a 2–1 defeat to [[Athletic Bilbao]] on 25 February.
===Standard Liège=== On 25 July 2018, Lestienne returned to Belgium, signing with [[Standard Liège]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Standard Liège]]|url=http://standard.be/fr/news/maxime-lestienne-rejoint-les-rouches|title=MAXIME LESTIENNE REJOINT LES ROUCHES !|date=25 July 2018|language=fr}}</ref> He make his debut for the club in a goalless draw against [[Royal Charleroi S.C.|Sporting Charleroi]] on 15 September.
On 18 August 2019, Lestienne scored a brace in a 4–1 win over [[Royal Excel Mouscron|Mouscron]]. After returning from suspension that he picked up against [[K.V. Kortrijk|KV Kortrijk]] on 25 August, he score a brace in a 4–1 win over [[K.V. Oostende|KV Oostende]] on 14 September 2019. During the [[2019–20 Standard Liège season|2019–20 season]] in the [[2019–20 UEFA Europa League|UEFA Europa League]] group stage fixture on 7 November, Lestienne scored an injury time goal from a brilliant counter attack to a famous 2–1 victory against [[Eintracht Frankfurt]]. In the next UEFA Europa League match, he scored a goal against [[Vitória Guimarães]] in a 1–1 draw on 28 November. After 109 appearances and 21 goals for the club, he bid farewell.<ref>{{Citation |title=Standard Liege 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt {{!}} Europa League 19/20 Match Highlights | date=7 November 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqWTuVMI92w |access-date=2023-04-17 |language=en}}</ref>
===Lion City Sailors===
==== 2022 season ==== On 8 February 2022, Lestienne joined [[Singapore Premier League]] club, [[Lion City Sailors FC|Lion City Sailors]] on a two-year deal.<ref>{{cite web | title=The now ex-Standardman will play for the defending champion and play in the Asian Champions League|url=https://www.dhnet.be/sports/football/division-1a/standard/maxime-lestienne-s-engage-avec-les-lion-city-sailors-61fba3f99978e253986818d8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Maxime Lestienne adds European pedigree to Sailors' ACL drive |date=8 February 2022 |url=https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/maxime-lestienne-adds-european-pedigree-to-sailors-acl-drive/}}</ref> He made his debut for the club on 27 February where he assisted Diego Lopes who secured a 3–1 win over [[Hougang United FC|Hougang United]]. In the [[2022 AFC Champions League]] group stage fixture on 18 April 2022, Lestienne assisted twice as Lion City Sailors made history and gained media attention for their 3–0 victory against Korean club, [[Daegu FC]]. On 24 April 2022, Lestienne scored his first AFC Champions League goal against [[Shandong Taishan F.C.|Shandong Taishan]] in a 3–2 win. On 3 July 2022, he scored and contribute a hat-trick of assists in a 6–0 away win against [[Tanjong Pagar United FC|Tanjong Pagar United]]. On 13 August 2022, he managed to get 2 goals and 4 assists in a 10–1 victory against [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]]. 2 gameweeks later, Lestienne scored 1 goal and 4 assists against Hougang United in a 9–4 victory at the [[Hougang Stadium]]. It was his 2nd quadruple of assists in the season and 3rd hat-trick of assist in the season. By Matchweek 22, Lestienne had racked up 10 goals and 20 assists for the Sailors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Karnageran |first=Narendaren |date=29 August 2022 |title=SPL Team of the Week: Matchweek 22 {{!}} The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/spl-team-of-the-week-matchweek-22 |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=www.straitstimes.com |language=en}}</ref> He ended the 2022 campaign with a wonderful performance of 16 goals and 28 assists across 34 matches. In his first season, Lestienne also won the [[Singapore Community Shield|2022 Singapore Community Shield]]. [[File:Johor Darul Ta'zim v Lion City Sailors 44.jpg|thumb|274x274px|Lestienne playing for Lion City Sailors in a pre-season match in April 2024.]]
==== 2023 season ==== On 24 February 2023 during the 1st matchday fixture of the [[2023 Singapore Premier League]] season, he racked up a hat-trick of assists against [[Tanjong Pagar United FC|Tanjong Pagar United]] in which the Sailors came out victorious in a 3–1 win. On 1 July 2023, he made his 50th appearances for the Sailors with 31 goals and 41 assists in total. On 7 July 2023, Lestienne scored his first club hat-trick in 4–1 victory against [[Young Lions FC|Young Lions]]. On 4 August 2023, Lestienne scored his second hat-trick of the season against [[Tampines Rovers FC|Tampines Rovers]]. It was his fastest career hat-trick in 25 minute. With the conclusion of the league, Lestienne went on to have exceptional performances throughout the season scoring 25 goals and providing 21 assists in 24 appearances. On 4 October 2023, Lestienne converted a penalty for his side in the [[2023–24 AFC Champions League]] group stage match against Hong Kong club, [[Kitchee SC|Kitchee]] in a 2–1 away win. On 9 December 2023, he scored in the [[2023 Singapore Cup]] Final which ended up with a victorious 3–1 win against defending champions, [[Hougang United FC|Hougang United]] where he won the cup. Lestienne's performance in the 2023 season rewarded him with the 'Player of the Year' award, 'Top Scorer' award and being named in the league 'Team of the Year'. He managed to grab a total of 26 goals and providing 29 assists in 35 appearances in 2023. On 15 December 2023, Lion City Sailors announced that Lestienne had signed a two-year contract extension until 2025.
==== 2024–25 season ==== On 4 May 2024, Lestienne helped his club to lift the [[Singapore Community Shield|2024 Singapore Community Shield]] after providing an assist and scoring a goal in a 2–0 win over Albirex Niigata (S) which won him the 'Man of the Match' award. During the [[2024–25 AFC Champions League Two]] fixture against Chinese club [[Zhejiang Professional F.C.|Zhejiang Professional]] on 19 September 2024, Lestienne scored in the 80th minute to secured a 2–0 win for the Sailors in which he curved the ball above the opposition goalkeeper [[Dong Chunyu]]. In total for the [[2024–25 AFC Champions League Two]], he scored 2 goals and provide 5 assists in the group stage qualifying the Lion City Sailors to the round of 16 as group leaders making them the first ever Singaporean Club to do so. On 14 March 2025, Lestienne make his 100th appearance for the club in a 1–1 draw against [[J1 League]] club [[Sanfrecce Hiroshima]] in the second leg of the [[2024–25 AFC Champions League Two]] quarter-finals fixture. He holds the club's most goal contributions of 139 at that time. Lestienne helped the Sailors to create history, booking their spot in the [[2025 AFC Champions League Two final|final]] after a 2-1 aggregate victory in the semi-finals against [[Sydney FC]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Sailors reach ACL Two final in historic first for Singapore football|url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/sailors-reach-acl-two-final-in-historic-first-for-singapore-football/|accessdate=23 April 2025|date=17 April 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref> Lestienne won his first ever Singapore Premier League [[2024–25 Singapore Premier League|title]] after scoring the winning goal through a 21st-minute penalty against [[Tanjong Pagar United FC|Tanjong Pagar United]] on 10 May 2025.<ref>{{cite web|title= Lion City Sailors seal Singapore Premier League title after win over Tanjong Pagar United|url= https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/lion-city-sailors-seal-singapore-premier-league-title-after-win-over-tanjong-pagar-united|accessdate=11 May 2025|date=10 May 2025|work=The Straits Times}}</ref> The trophy and medals were presented on 14 May, after the match against [[Balestier Khalsa FC|Balestier Khalsa]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Sailors bask in SPL title-winning joy at Jalan Besar |url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/sailors-bask-in-spl-title-winning-joy-at-jalan-besar/ |accessdate=15 May 2025|date=15 May 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref> Lestienne scored the equaliser in the 91st minute of the [[2025 AFC Champions League Two final]] against [[Sharjah FC|Sharjah]]. However, the Sailors were unable to hold on and eventually conceded in the 97th minute to finish the game in a 1–2 defeat. Lestienne finished the [[2024–25 AFC Champions League Two|2024–25 AFC Champions League Two campaign]] as a runner-up with 5 goals, placing him in the joint top 5 goalscorer of the campaign.<ref>{{cite web|title= Sharjah edge Sailors to savour glory |url= https://www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league_two.html/news/sharjah-edge-sailors-to-savour-glory|accessdate=19 May 2025|date=18 May 2025|work=AFC.com}}</ref>
As of 21 May 2025, after scoring and assisting in the first leg of the semi-final match against [[DPMM FC|DPMM]] in the [[2024–25 Singapore Cup]], Lestienne made a total of 152 goals and assists (64 goals and 88 assists) after 166 games. Lestienne assisted the winning goal for [[Bart Ramselaar]] in a 1–0 against [[Tampines Rovers FC|Tampines Rovers]] to seal the Singapore Cup final.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lion City Sailors complete domestic double with second consecutive Singapore Cup|url= https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/lion-city-sailors-complete-domestic-double-spl-singapore-cup-5161276 |accessdate=31 May 2025|date=31 May 2025|work=Channel News Asia}}</ref> Lion City Sailors completed a domestic treble including the Community Shield, the league title and the Singapore Cup.<ref>{{cite web|title= Sailors crown treble-winning season with Singapore Cup triumph over BG Tampines |url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/sailors-crown-treble-winning-season-with-singapore-cup-triumph-over-bg-tampines/# |accessdate=4 July 2025|date=1 June 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref> Lestienne was also named in the Team of the Year for the third season in a row.<ref>{{cite web|title= Ranko bags Coach of the Year gong as Sailors shine at SPL Awards Night |url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/ranko-bags-coach-of-the-year-gong-as-sailors-shine-at-spl-awards-night/ |accessdate=4 July 2025|date=2 June 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref>
==== 2025–2026 season ==== Lestienne started off the season with a defeat in the 2025 Singapore Community Shield against Tampines Rovers on 16 August 2025. However in the first league match of the season, he scored a brace to help Lion City Sailors to a 2–1 win over Hougang United on 25 August. While in the opening group stage fixtures of the [[2025–26 AFC Champions League Two]] against Indonesian club [[Persib Bandung]], he assisted [[Lennart Thy]] to scored a header in stoppage time to secure a 1–1 draw at the [[Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium]].
On 12 December 2025, it was announced that Lestienne would be leaving the club at the end of December, following the expiry of his contract.<ref>{{cite web|title= Maxime Lestienne set to depart the Sailors after trophy-laden four-year spell|url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/maxime-lestienne-set-to-depart-the-sailors-after-trophy-laden-four-year-spell/ |accessdate=21 December 2025|date=12 December 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref> During the first leg of the semi-final [[2025–26 Singapore Cup]] fixtures against Balestier Khalsa on 14 December, Lestienne recorded an hat-trick of assist helping his team to a 4–1 win putting his assist tally to 96.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=19 December 2025 |title=Maxime Lestienne hopes to sign off with a century of assists for Lion City Sailors |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/maxime-lestienne-hopes-to-sign-off-with-a-century-of-assists-for-lion-city-sailors |accessdate=21 December 2025 |work=The Straits Times}}</ref> In his penultimate game on 17 December, he registered a goal and an assist as the Sailors beat Myanmar's [[Shan United F.C.|Shan United]] 3-2 in the [[2025–26 ASEAN Club Championship|ASEAN Club Championship]].<ref name=":0" /> Lestienne captained the team on his final game in a 1–0 win in the Singapore Cup semi-final second leg against Balestier Khalsa.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-12-21 |title=Sailors reach SG Cup final as Maxime bids an emotional farewell |url=https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/sailors-reach-sg-cup-final-as-maxime-bids-an-emotional-farewell/ |access-date=2026-01-19 |website=Lion City Sailors FC |language=en-US}}</ref> After 4 years at the club, Lestienne played 131 games racking a total of 70 goals and 97 assist.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maxime eyes glorious swansong to Sailors chapter|url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/maxime-eyes-glorious-swansong-to-sailors-chapter/|accessdate=21 December 2025|date=19 December 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sailors reach SG Cup final as Maxime bids an emotional farewell|url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/sailors-reach-sg-cup-final-as-maxime-bids-an-emotional-farewell/ |accessdate=21 December 2025|date=21 December 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref> He was named legend of the club following his departure.<ref>{{cite web|title=From loss to legacy: the making of Magic Max|url= https://www.lioncitysailorsfc.sg/from-loss-to-legacy-the-making-of-magic-max/|accessdate=21 December 2025|date=13 December 2025|work=Lion City Sailors}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Lion City Sailors’ Maxime Lestienne says goodbye with cheeky missed Panenka|url= https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/lion-city-sailors-maxime-lestienne-says-goodbye-with-cheeky-missed-panenka|accessdate=21 December 2025|date=21 December 2025|work=The Straits Times}}</ref>
==International career== Lestienne has appeared seven times for the [[Belgium national under-21 football team|Belgium U21]] team and scored once, when he converted a penalty in the 53rd minute in a [[2015 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification Group 9]] game against [[Cyprus national under-21 football team|Cyprus U21]] won by Belgium 2–0.<ref>{{cite news |date=25 March 2013 |title=Belgium up and running against Cyprus |url=https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2011553--belgium-vs-cyprus/ |access-date=30 September 2013 |publisher=UEFA}}</ref>
Lestienne was called up to the senior [[Belgium national football team|Belgium national team]] for the friendly against the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]] in May 2013, but did not play.<ref>{{cite web |date=30 May 2013 |title=USA 2-4 Belgium - as it happened |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2013/may/30/usa-belgium-international-friendly |access-date=6 September 2020 |publisher=Guardian}}</ref> He wore the number 17 jersey on the match-day squad. He was called up again to the squad in November 2019 to play against [[Russia national football team|Russia]] and [[Cyprus national football team|Cyprus]] for Belgium last two [[UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying]] match which he didn't make any appearances.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 November 2019 |title=Soccer-Belgium hand surprise call-up to Cobbaut |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/soccer-euro-rus-bel-preview/soccer-belgium-hand-surprise-call-up-to-cobbaut-idUKL8N27O4C6 |access-date=6 September 2020 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref>
== Style of play == Lestienne is a technically gifted winger who is primarily deployed on either flank, although he is most effective when starting on the [[Winger (association football)|right wing]] and cutting inside onto his stronger left foot. He is known for his direct attacking approach, frequently taking on defenders in one-on-one situations and using quick acceleration and close ball control to beat his marker. Lestienne employed his signature move by cutting inside on his stronger left foot to move to a more central attacking position, and used his agility and [[Dribbling#Association football|dribbling]] skills to take on defenders until he found the space to make an attempt on goal or become creative to cross the ball to the far post for his teammate to tap in for the goal.
A creative wide player, Lestienne contributes both goals and assists, combining dribbling with an eye for the final pass. His agility and balance allow him to operate effectively in tight spaces, while his movement into half-spaces increases his threat in the attacking third. Although not a traditional striker, he regularly arrives in scoring positions from wide areas and is capable of finishing from narrow angles, particularly with curling shots.
Tactically versatile, Lestienne can function as a traditional winger or as an inverted winger in systems such as 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, adapting his role depending on team needs. He is also a set-piece taker, providing quality deliveries from corners and free kicks. In addition to his attacking output, he contributes defensively by pressing opposition full-backs and tracking back when required.
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {{updated|match played 21 December 2025}}<ref>{{Soccerway|69303|Maxime Lestienne|accessdate=15 March 2025}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|[[R.E. Mouscron|Mouscron]] |[[2008–09 Belgian First Division|2008–09]] | rowspan="2"|[[Belgian First Division A]] |2||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||2||0 |- |[[2009–10 Belgian Pro League|2009–10]] |18||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||18||3 |- !colspan="2"|Total !20!!3!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!20!!3 |- |rowspan="7"|[[Club Brugge KV|Club Brugge]] |[[2009–10 Belgian Pro League|2009–10]] | rowspan="6"|Belgian First Division A |12||1||2||0||0||0||2{{efn|name=UEL|Appearance(s) in [[UEFA Europa League]]}}||0||colspan="2"|—||16||1 |- |[[2010–11 Belgian Pro League|2010–11]] |15||2||2||0||0||0||3{{efn|name=UEL}}||0||colspan="2"|—||20||2 |- |[[2011–12 Belgian Pro League|2011–12]] |19||7||1||0||0||0||5{{efn|name=UEL}}||1||colspan="2"|—||25||8 |- |[[2012–13 Belgian Pro League|2012–13]] |38||17||2||0||0||0||7{{efn|One appearance in [[UEFA Champions League]], six appearances and one goal in [[UEFA Europa League]]}}||1||colspan="2"|—||47||18 |- |[[2013–14 Club Brugge KV season|2013–14]] |39||11||2||0||0||0||1{{efn|name=UEL}}||0||colspan="2"|—||42||11 |- |[[2014–15 Club Brugge KV season|2014–15]] |4||0||0||0||0||0||3{{efn|name=UEL}}||0||colspan="2"|—||7||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !127!!38!!9!!0!!0!!0!!21!!2!!0!!0!!157!!40 |- |rowspan="1"|[[Al-Arabi SC (Qatar)|Al-Arabi SC]] |[[2014–15 Qatar Stars League|2014–15]] |[[Qatar Stars League]] |0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |rowspan="1"|[[Genoa CFC|Genoa]] (loan) |[[2014–15 Genoa CFC season|2014–15]] |[[Serie A]] |23||1||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||24||1 |- |rowspan="1"|[[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]] (loan) |[[2015–16 PSV Eindhoven season|2015–16]] |[[Eredivisie]] |14||1||1||0||0||0||4{{efn|name=UCL|Appearance(s) in [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||2||colspan="2"|—||19||3 |- |rowspan="1"|[[Jong PSV]] (loan) |[[2015–16 Eerste Divisie|2015–16]] |[[Eerste Divisie]] |1||0|| colspan="2"|—|| colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—|| colspan="2"|—||1||0 |- |rowspan="3"|[[FC Rubin Kazan|Rubin Kazan]] |[[2016–17 FC Rubin Kazan season|2016–17]] |rowspan="2"|[[Russian Premier League]] |13||3||3||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||16||3 |- |[[2017–18 FC Rubin Kazan season|2017–18]] |10||2||2||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||12||3 |- !colspan="2"|Total !23!!5!!5!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!28!!6 |- |rowspan="1"|[[Málaga CF|Málaga]] (loan) |[[2017–18 Málaga CF season|2017–18]] |[[La Liga]] |12||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||12||0 |- |rowspan="5"|[[Standard Liège]] |[[2018–19 Standard Liège season|2018–19]] | rowspan="4"|Belgian First Division A |27||5||1||0||0||0||5{{efn|name=UEL}}||0||colspan="2"|—||33||5 |- |[[2019–20 Standard Liège season|2019–20]] |27||7||2||1||0||0||5{{efn|name=UEL}}||2||colspan="2"|—||34||10 |- |[[2020–21 Standard Liège season|2020–21]] |33||5||3||0||0||0||4{{efn|name=UEL}}||2||colspan="2"|—||40||7 |- |[[2021–22 Standard Liège season|2021–22]] |8||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||8||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !95!!17!!6!!1!!0!!0!!14!!4!!0!!0!!115!!22 |- |rowspan="5"|[[Lion City Sailors]] |[[2022 Lion City Sailors FC season|2022]] |rowspan="4"|[[Singapore Premier League]] |25||12||3||3||0||0||6{{efn|name=ACL|Appearance(s) in [[AFC Champions League Elite]]}}||1||colspan="2"|—||34||16 |- |[[2023 Lion City Sailors FC season|2023]] |24||25||5||0||0||0||6{{efn|name=ACL}}||1||colspan="2"|—||35||26 |- |[[2024–25 Lion City Sailors FC season|2024–25]] |27||14||3||1||0||0||13{{efn|name=ACL2|Appearance(s) in [[AFC Champions League Two]]}}||5||6{{efn|Five appearances and one goal in [[ASEAN Club Championship]], one appearance and one goal in [[Singapore Community Shield]]}}||2||49||22 |- |[[2025–26 Lion City Sailors FC season|2025–26]] |4||4||2||0||0||0||4{{efn|name=ACL2}}||0||3{{efn|Two appearances and two goals in [[ASEAN Club Championship]], one appearance in [[Singapore Community Shield]]}}||2||13||6 |- !colspan="2"|Total !80!!55!!13!!4!!0!!0!!29!!7!!9!!4!!131!!70 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !395!!120!!35!!6!!0!!0!!68!!15!!9!!4!!507!!145 |} {{notelist}}
== Honours ==
'''PSV''' * [[Eredivisie]]: [[2015–16 Eredivisie|2015–16]] * [[Johan Cruyff Shield]]: [[2015 Johan Cruyff Shield|2015]]
'''Lion City Sailors''' * [[AFC Champions League Two]] runner-up: [[2024–25 AFC Champions League Two|2024–25]] * [[Singapore Premier League]]: [[2024–25 Singapore Premier League|2024–25]] * [[Singapore Cup]]: [[2023 Singapore Cup|2023]], [[2024–25 Singapore Cup|2024–25]], [[2025-26 Singapore Cup|2025-26]] * [[Singapore Community Shield]]: 2022, 2024; runner-up: 2025
'''Individual''' * [[Singapore Premier League]] 'Player of the Year': [[2023 Singapore Premier League|2023]] * Singapore Premier League 'Team of the Year': [[2022 Singapore Premier League|2022]], [[2023 Singapore Premier League|2023]], [[2024–25 Singapore Premier League|2024–25]] * Singapore Premier League 'Top Goalscorer': [[2023 Singapore Premier League|2023]] * Singapore Premier League 'Top Assist provider': [[2022 Singapore Premier League|2022]], [[2023 Singapore Premier League|2023]], [[2024–25 Singapore Premier League|2024–25]] * Singapore Premier League 'Player of the Month': May 2022, August 2022, April/May 2023, June 2023
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons cat}} * {{Worldfootball.net|maxime-lestienne|new_id=pe142035}} * [http://www.walfoot.be/fra/joueurs/lestienne-maxime Player info] at walfoot.be {{in lang|fr}} * {{RBFA player|PH_5518}} * [https://www.rbfa.be/en/international/4963/info Player info] at the Royal Belgian Football Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lestienne, Maxime}} [[Category:1992 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Footballers from Mouscron]] [[Category:Belgian men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]] [[Category:Royal Excel Mouscron players]] [[Category:Club Brugge KV players]] [[Category:Genoa CFC players]] [[Category:PSV Eindhoven players]] [[Category:Jong PSV players]] [[Category:FC Rubin Kazan players]] [[Category:Málaga CF players]] [[Category:Standard Liège players]] [[Category:Lion City Sailors FC players]] [[Category:Belgian Pro League players]] [[Category:Serie A players]] [[Category:Eredivisie players]] [[Category:Eerste Divisie players]] [[Category:Russian Premier League players]] [[Category:La Liga players]] [[Category:Singapore Premier League players]] [[Category:Belgium men's youth international footballers]] [[Category:Belgium men's under-21 international footballers]] [[Category:Belgian expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Italy]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy]] [[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]] [[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Qatar]] [[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Russia]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Russia]] [[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Spain]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]] [[Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Singapore]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Singapore]] [[Category:21st-century Belgian sportsmen]]