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A talent won by the Atlas Lions
Morocco’s 18-year-old star Ayoub Bouadi continues to amaze the world with his exceptional performance at the 2026 World Cup, making him one of the tournament’s most notable discoveries and the focus of European football’s giants.
Hubert Fournier, the technical director of the French Football Federation, admitted in statements to The Athletic that losing the promising Lille player from Morocco is a “big loss” for French football, stressing that Bouadi “is a talent that we have noticed for many years and we realize that he is unique at his age.”
Bouadi represented the French national team at youth level before Morocco managed to snap him up after a fierce rivalry with the Roosters, becoming a mainstay in the Atlas Lions side at the World Cup.
Fournier revealed that Bouadi had been on France coach Didier Deschamps’ account ahead of the tournament, but intense competition in midfield prevented the youngster from being guaranteed an immediate start as Deschamps felt he was “not ready yet” while Morocco left the starting line-up wide open.
The French official pointed out that Morocco has shown more interest in the young talent through ongoing official visits and direct contact with his family, tipping the balance in the polarizing battle in favor of the Atlas Lions.
Since his opening game against Brazil, Bouadi has dazzled international fans with his technical maturity and tactical quality despite his young age, immediately attracting interest from giants including Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.
Today, Saturday, Bouadi is looking forward to helping Morocco beat Canada in the round of 16 and reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in a historic run for the Atlas Lions of the tournament.
