18-Year-Old Prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi Ditches France for Morocco, Shines in World Cup Opener

Ayyoub Bouaddi, an 18-year-old French-born midfielder, made a stunning World Cup debut for Morocco against Brazil, completing 91% of his passes and drawing praise from commentators. Despite rising through France's youth ranks and captaining their U21 team, Bouaddi switched allegiance after France coach Didier Deschamps declined to call him up. His decision has sparked controversy in France, with pundits like Jerome Rothen criticizing Deschamps. Bouaddi's father, a former handball player and deputy mayor, instilled discipline in him, balancing football with academics—he earned his Baccalaureate a year early and now studies mathematics. Now a symbol of Morocco's new attacking style under coach Mohamed Ouahbi, Bouaddi's performance has fans and clubs like Arsenal taking notice, with Lille reportedly setting a €100 million price tag.