Ayoub Bouaddi had the talent to lead France's midfield for the next generation, but he decided not to wait for his chance. The young player will now start for Morocco against Les Bleus in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in North America. The story of the 18-year-old Lille player is remarkable: from captaining France's Under-21 side just three months ago, to declaring his international allegiance to the senior Moroccan squad ahead of this World Cup, he now seeks to eliminate the country of his birth.
When France coach Didier Deschamps was asked about Bouaddi last March, he hinted that it was still too early to call him up, saying: "We are certainly following his level — there is a lot of competition — and ultimately the decision will be his." Instead of travelling with France to the United States for a friendly against Brazil, Bouaddi stayed behind and led the Under-21 side against Luxembourg. Morocco sensed the opportunity and moved quickly to recruit a player expected to have a great future, with a promise of a starting place in the World Cup squad.
Last December, he told the sports newspaper L'Équipe that his dream was to win the World Cup and the UEFA Champions League — to win everything. He made a brilliant start at the World Cup against Brazil on 13 June and has not stopped shining since. On Thursday, from his position deep in Morocco's midfield, Bouaddi will attempt to stop Michael Olise and prevent him from pulling the strings and supplying Kylian Mbappé with the ball.
France will hope not to regret losing Bouaddi, who grew up near Paris in a family of Moroccan heritage and is currently studying for a degree in mathematics. Hubert Fournier, the French Football Federation's technical director, said: "Bouaddi is a talent we have been following for years. We know there is no player like him in his age group. It is a great loss for our federation, but the decision is his." Bouaddi made his debut for Lille when he was barely 16 years old, and produced an exceptional midfield performance during a Champions League victory over Real Madrid of Spain on his 17th birthday in late 2024.
Fournier added, when speaking about the failure to call him up to the senior squad: "He knew he was on the extended list, but we were not able to give him the chance to play in the World Cup now."