Mario Mitaj (; born 6 August 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. Born in Greece, he represents Albania at international level.
A product of the AEK Athens academy, Mitaj made his senior debut in the Super League Greece at the age of 17 and went on to feature for both the first team and the reserve side, AEK Athens B, until 2022, establishing himself as one of the most promising young defenders to emerge from the club. He transferred to Lokomotiv Moscow in 2022, before joining Al-Ittihad in 2024 on loan. Known for his pace, defensive positioning and composure in possession, he helped Al-Ittihad win the Saudi Pro League and the KingâÂÂs Cup, completing a domestic double in his debut season.
Despite born in Greece, Mitaj represents the Albania national team at international level. Having made his senior debut in 2021 at the age of 17, he became a regular starter during UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying, and went on to play every minute for Albania at the final tournament in Germany.
Born in Athens to Albanian parents from Vermosh, Mitaj began playing football at a young age before joining the youth academy of AEK Athens in 2017, after being scouted while playing for local academies in Albania. Having moved to Greece at a young age, he quickly adapted to AEKâÂÂs system and was regarded as one of the most promising defenders in the clubâÂÂs youth setup. Known for his tactical intelligence, composure on the ball, and versatility, he was regularly deployed both as a left-back and as a central defender in the Super League Greece U-19 championship.
During the 2018âÂÂ19 and 2019âÂÂ20 seasons, Mitaj became a standout performer for AEKâÂÂs under-17 and under-19 teams, contributing to the clubâÂÂs strong showings in domestic youth competitions and attracting attention from the senior team staff. His maturity on and off the pitch led AEK to promote him to first-team training sessions in the summer of 2020.
On 12 August 2020, Mitaj signed his first professional contract with AEK Athens and officially became part of the senior squad.
Just two months later, on 18 October 2020, he made his first Super League Greece appearance in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against PAOK, becoming the youngest foreign player in AEKâÂÂs history to feature in an official match, at only 17 years, 2 months, and 13 days old. His debut came in a high-profile away fixture in Thessaloniki, where he delivered a composed and promising performance despite his young age, drawing positive notes from sports media.
Following his debut season, on 2 February 2021, AEK rewarded him with a new contract running until the summer of 2023, reflecting the clubâÂÂs confidence in his potential. Under managers Massimo Carrera and later Vladan MilojeviÃÂ, Mitaj gradually earned more first-team minutes, often used as a deputy for experienced left-back Ehsan Hajsafi. Known for his composure, intelligent positioning, and ability to advance play from the back, he established himself as one of the most technically refined young defenders in the Greek league.
On 10 August 2021, the Albanian left-back extended his contract until 2026, securing his long-term future with the club. During the 2020âÂÂ21 season, he featured in 13 matches across all competitions, including the Super League Greece and the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers, earning recognition from Greek sports media as one of the most promising young defenders in the competition.
During the 2021âÂÂ22 campaign, besides making three further appearances with the first team, Mitaj was also registered with AEK Athens B, the clubâÂÂs reserve side newly established that season and competing in the Super League Greece 2. He became a regular starter for AEK B, making around 20 league appearances throughout the season and gaining valuable experience at the senior professional level. His performances with the B team were noted for consistency and maturity, reinforcing his reputation as one of AEKâÂÂs most promising academy graduates.
Throughout his time at AEK, Mitaj has been recognized for his composure, tactical discipline, and leadership qualities uncommon for a player of his age, which have also earned him regular call-ups to the Albania national senior team. His technical ability, confidence under pressure, and maturity made him a key prospect for both AEK and the Albania national team, with several European clubs reportedly monitoring his development. He was also regarded as one of the brightest products of the clubâÂÂs academy, alongside Konstantinos Galanopoulos. Greek media often described him as a modern full-back with strong tactical awareness and confidence on the ball. His performances reportedly attracted interest from Italian clubs such as Udinese and Torino, though AEK opted to keep him as part of their long-term project.
In total, Mitaj made 16 official appearances for AEK Athensâ first team and played 20 matches for AEK Athens B in the Super League 2 before leaving the club in 2022.
On 27 August 2022, Mitaj signed a five-year contract with Russian Premier League club Lokomotiv Moscow. The transfer fee was reported to be â¬3 million, with AEK Athens retaining a sell-on percentage for any future transfer.
Mitaj made his debut for Lokomotiv on 31 August 2022 in a Russian Cup match against Pari Nizhny Novgorod, suffering a 2âÂÂ0 away loss. Four days later, on 4 September 2022, he made his League debut against Akhmat Grozny in a 2âÂÂ1 defeat.
By the end of the season, Mitaj had made 14 league appearances, accumulating a total of 774 minutes on the pitch, with the club finishing 8th in the league table. He also appeared in 4 matches in the cup competition. He was noted for his defensive contributions and versatility, sometimes being used off the bench.
During the 2023âÂÂ24 Russian Premier League season, Mitaj established himself as a regular starter under head coach Mikhail Galaktionov, primarily operating as a left-back in both four-man and three-man defensive systems. His consistent performances earned him praise from Russian sports media for his tactical discipline and crossing ability.
By the end of the 2023âÂÂ24 campaign, Mitaj had featured in over 25 league matches and contributed several assists, helping Lokomotiv finish in the 4th place in league ranking and reach the quarter-finals of Russian Cup. His growing influence at the club led to reports linking him with moves to Italian Serie A sides ahead of the 2024 summer transfer window.
At the start of the 2024âÂÂ25 season, Mitaj remained part of the Lokomotiv squad and appeared in four league and cup matches during July and August 2024, recording one assist in a 4âÂÂ0 Russian Cup victory over Khimki. Shortly afterward, he moved abroad for the first time in his career.
On 3 September 2024, Mitaj was loaned to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad for one year, with an option to buy. The fee was reported to be around â¬1.2 million. During his loan spell, he quickly established himself as a regular starter for the Saudi side, making 18 league appearances and scoring once. Having missed match action since 1 February due to injury, Mitaj returned to the starting lineup against Al-Riyadh under coach Laurent Blanc. Mitaj played a key role in Al-IttihadâÂÂs title-winning campaign, helping the club secure the 2024âÂÂ25 Saudi Pro League championship in his debut season. Alongside the league triumph, Al-Ittihad also won the KingâÂÂs Cup, completing a domestic double in the 2024âÂÂ25 season â the clubâÂÂs first since 2018. He featured prominently in the KingâÂÂs Cup, including playing 105 minutes in the quarter-final win over Al-Hilal decided by penalties, and starting in the final, where Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Qadisiya 3âÂÂ1 to lift the trophy. He also registered an assist in a 2âÂÂ0 league victory over Al-Fateh in November 2024, which temporarily placed Al-Ittihad at the top of the standings. On 31 January 2025, Al-Ittihad exercised their option and purchased Mitaj for a reported fee of â¬4 million.
In the 2025âÂÂ26 season, Mitaj has appeared as a starter in two league matches so far, keeping one clean sheet and receiving a yellow card. Across all competitions, he has played three full matches in domestic Saudi competitions, without scoring or assisting. On 19 August 2025, Mitaj featured in the 2025 Saudi Super Cup semi-final against Al-Nassr, starting the match against five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo as Al-Ittihad were eliminated following a 2âÂÂ1 defeat. He made his AFC Champions League debut on 15 September 2025 in the group stage against Al-Wahda of the United Arab Emirates, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1âÂÂ1 draw.
Having grown up in Nea Ionia, Attica, Mitaj was eligible to represent both Albania and Greece. He chose to play for Albania, progressing through all national youth levels from under-17 to under-21.
Mitaj made his youth international debut for the Albania under-17s in October 2018, featuring in the whole 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification at the age of 15. He started in all matches and scored a decisive goal in the victory over Azerbaijan, which provided AlbaniaâÂÂs only points in the campaign. In 2019, he was appointed captain of the Albania U-17 side, leading the team in a series of ten friendly matches in which he scored three goals, before participating in the 2020 UEFA Euro U-17 qualifiers.
In 2020 he made his debut for the Albania under-21s at the age of 17, appearing in the closing stages of the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification and becoming an undisputed starter also participating in the following campaign of 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification, completing 11 matches throughout the whole process. During the 2022âÂÂ23 period, he also featured in seven friendly matches for the youth setup, including two appearances for a temporary Albania under-20 side, before moving subsequently to senior side.
Mitaj made his senior debut for Albania on 31 March 2021 in a World Cup qualifying match against San Marino, starting in a 2âÂÂ0 away victory and becoming AlbaniaâÂÂs second-youngest ever senior international at the age of 17. Mitaj returned to senior team later in 2023 for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign; his standout performances during the second-half of 2022âÂÂ23 for Lokomotiv Moscow, consistent starts, and contributing both defensively and offensively, made Sylvinho to entrust Mitaj as AlbaniaâÂÂs first-choice left-back, playing every minute of the qualifiers and earning praise for his defensive consistency and tactical discipline.
Albania finished top of their group for the first time in history, collecting 15 pointsâÂÂlevel with the Czech Republic but ahead on the head-to-head recordâÂÂthus qualifying for the final tournament of a European Championship for only the second time ever. In June 2024, Mitaj was included in SylvinhoâÂÂs final 26-man list for UEFA Euro 2024, hosted in Germany. He played every minute also in the finals in UEFA Euro 2024 Group B, where Albania finished bottom of the group with a single point and were eliminated from the tournament.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, Mitaj was included in the Team of the Qualifiers selected by Sofascore, being rated as the highest-performing left-back of the competition, receiving an overall rating of 7.62 across the qualifying matches, ranking him among standout players. Mitaj missed two opening matches against England and Andorra due to injury, and the closing match against England, as a precaution by coach Sylvinho to avoid suspension ahead of the play-off round. In the remaining five fixtures of the campaign, in which Albania earned two draws followed by three consecutive victories, Mitaj started each game and was noted for his consistent impact, contributing to his recognition as an indispensable part of the national squad.
Al-Ittihad