Ali Maâloul was born on 1 January 1990 in Sfax, Tunisia. He came through CS Sfaxien's youth ranks and signed his first professional contract with the club. After establishing himself as one of Tunisia's premier left-backs, he moved to Egyptian giants Al Ahly in August 2016, where he became one of African football's most-decorated players over nearly a decade.
At Al Ahly, Maâloul won an extraordinary number of trophies: multiple Egyptian Premier League titles (2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25), Egyptian Cup, multiple Egyptian Super Cup, the CAF Champions League in 2020–21, 2022–23 and 2023–24, the CAF Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup contributions, the Kirin Cup with Tunisia in 2022, and numerous other domestic honours. His 2022 league season produced 8 goals from defence — outstanding output for a left-back.
In August 2025 Maâloul returned home to CS Sfaxien on a free transfer, completing a meaningful career arc.
A composed, technically refined left-back with elite crossing, set-piece delivery and senior leadership presence, Maâloul has been a Tunisia regular for over a decade. He is one of the senior captains of the Tunisia setup and a leading candidate for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the most experienced left-back in the squad — an iconic figure in modern Tunisian football.