Bouaddi’s Morocco debut fuels questions over France’s World Cup choice

Ayyoub Bouaddi has become one of Morocco’s early World Cup 2026 focal points after an assured midfield performance against Brazil in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Al Jazeera reported that the 18-year-old Lille midfielder’s rise has also intensified scrutiny of France’s decision not to bring him into its senior squad.

Bouaddi had come through France’s youth setup and captained the country’s Under-21 side as recently as March, according to Al Jazeera. France coach Didier Deschamps wanted him to remain in the youth ranks, while Morocco moved to recruit him before the tournament.

FIFA approved Bouaddi’s switch of national eligibility in May, Al Jazeera reported. Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said after the Brazil match that officials had held repeated talks with the player before he chose Morocco.

“We had a lot of meetings with him to get him to choose Morocco, and he was good,” Ouahbi told reporters, according to Al Jazeera.

France debate grows after Brazil match

Former Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco midfielder Jerome Rothen criticised Deschamps’s handling of Bouaddi while speaking on RMC Sport, Al Jazeera reported. Rothen said Bouaddi’s quality was visible before his World Cup display against Brazil.

“When I hear the words of coach Didier Deschamps, it shocks me,” Rothen said on RMC Sport. “With Bouaddi, we didn’t have to wait to see what he did against Brazil to realise that he’s a young player who was ahead of his time.”

Al Jazeera reported that Bouaddi completed 91 percent of his passes against Brazil, including all 16 of his attempts in the attacking third. The report said his play in both defence and attack stood out against a Brazil midfield that included Casemiro, who was substituted at half-time.

Bouaddi had already built a strong club profile before the World Cup. Al Jazeera reported that he recently became the youngest player to make 50 Ligue 1 appearances, and that he helped Lille beat Real Madrid in the Champions League in October 2024, on the eve of his 17th birthday.

A player shaped in France, now central to Morocco

Bouaddi began playing for local club AFC Creil at age five, according to Al Jazeera. His father, Hassan Bouaddi, was a former handball player who later worked as a banking director and served as deputy mayor of Creil, a town north of Paris.

Al Jazeera reported that Hassan Bouaddi pushed for better sports facilities for young people in Creil. The report also said education remained central for Ayyoub Bouaddi, who sat the French Baccalaureate at 16 and is studying mathematics.

Morocco’s squad has been changing under Ouahbi, who won the 2025 Under-20 World Cup with Morocco, according to Al Jazeera. The report said several veterans from Walid Regragui’s 2022 semifinal team have left as Morocco seeks a different style.

Bouaddi’s status has risen quickly among supporters. Al Jazeera reported that a photo of him at age 10 wearing a Morocco shirt at the 2018 World Cup in Russia spread widely on social media after the Brazil game.

A Morocco fan in Barcelona, identified by Al Jazeera as Mohammed, praised Bouaddi’s maturity and said many fans had not known him before the match. Football commentator Khalil Jadallah told Al Jazeera that viewers who missed Brazil against Morocco had missed “discovering the new [Sergio] Busquets,” citing Bouaddi’s passing, defending, ball carrying and control of tempo.

Lille extended Bouaddi’s contract last year, and Al Jazeera reported that three years remain on the deal. The report said the French club is expected to ask interested teams to start offers at 100 million euros, or $114 million.

Morocco still has group-stage matches against Scotland and Haiti, according to Al Jazeera. Bouaddi’s next performances will test whether his Brazil display was the start of a larger role in Morocco’s World Cup campaign.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.