“Strong blow to us”. France regrets the loss of Bouadi and reveals the reason for the selection of Morocco

The French Football Federation has revealed the reasons that prompted young midfielder Ayoub Bouadi to represent Morocco despite his progress through all age groups of France’s national teams before he shines with the Atlas Lions at the 2026 World Cup.

Bouadi (18) became one of the tournament’s standout discoveries after catching the eye on his debut against Brazil and has been a standout in Morocco’s midfield following his decision to represent Morocco at international level last May.

In statements given to the newspaper The Athletic The national technical director of the French federation, Hubert Fournier, said that Bouadi is one of the most outstanding talents that France has been following for many years.

He added: “Boadi is an exceptional talent in his age group and we are well aware of his abilities. His loss is an important blow to the French Federation, but ultimately the decision was his personal decision.”

Fournier explained that the football player went through all the stages of development in the French national team and spent about a year and a half in the U-21 national team and was in the extended list of the first team, but the technical staff was not ready to include him in the World Cup list.

He pointed out that France coach Didier Deschamps believed Bouadi was “not yet ready” for the first team in light of strong competition in the Roosters’ ranks, opening the door for Morocco to include him.

Fournier said: “With the World Cup approaching, Deschamps decided not to invite him, while Morocco gave him the opportunity to participate in the tournament. I understand his point of view and his choice.”

Bouadi has a long-standing record with France national teams, having made 8 caps for the U-16 national team, 5 for the U-17, 3 for the U-18, and one for the U-20 national team, in addition to 10 caps for the U-21 national team between November 2024 and March 2026.

Announcing his choice to represent Morocco, the player stressed that the decision does not detract from his pride in his time with the French teams and said:

As reported by The Athletic, the Moroccan federation made great efforts to convince Bouadi to represent the “Atlas Lions”, having several meetings with him and his family members before making a decision before the start of the World Cup.

The report states that the player was initially inclined to represent France and also spoke to Zinedine Zidane, who is considered to be Deschamps’ next candidate to coach France, but the latter explained to him that he could not make any guarantees about his future in the first team, which contributed to his move to represent Morocco.