Brilliant teenager Bouaddi glides on to big stage with effortless grace for Morocco

Lille midfielder excelled against Brazil but it was no surprise to his national coach after a key role in convincing him to turn down France’s overtures

The name Ayyoub Bouaddi was on everyone’s lips after Brazil’s draw against Morocco on Saturday night. Even the army of concerned South American journalists firing questions at Vinícius Júnior at the MetLife Stadium had to acknowledge that the Real Madrid forward had been fortunate to be named as man of the match despite scoring a superb equaliser to rescue a point for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in their opening game of the 2026 World Cup.

Instead it was the imposing figure with a distinctive mop of hair in Morocco’s central midfield who stole the show on his first competitive international appearance. Bouaddi managed the most touches (88), won the most duels (11) and completed the most successful passes in the opposition’s half (30), finishing with a passing success rate of 93% as he dominated Casemiro – a player almost twice his age and with a vastly different career trajectory. It came as no surprise to his coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, after he played a crucial role in convincing Bouaddi, who made his debut for Lille in March 2023 three days after his 16th birthday, to turn down France’s overtures just before this tournament.

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