Young prodigy of Losc since 2023 and upgraded to the France Espoirs team since 2024 (10 matches), Ayyoub Bouaddi will not represent the Blues. The 18-year-old defensive midfielder was not called up for the Morocco team during the last international window in March, playing in the two Bleuets matches, but the native of Senlis will represent the Atlas Lions well. He will announce it at the end of the Ligue 1 season, as journalist Abdellah Boulma explains to French Football Weekly this Tuesday.
Bouaddi was not necessarily in Didier Deschamps’ plans for the 2026 World Cup but his talent would perhaps have allowed him to join the French selection next season. He suddenly offers himself a chance to participate in the World Cup with the reigning African champions (crowned on the green carpet by the CAF appeal jury at the expense of Senegal).
Morocco starts against Brazil!
The player trained in Creil then in Lille has met several times with the leaders of the Moroccan federation in recent years, notably former coach Walid Regragui then his successor Mohamed Ouahbi, inducted in March. Bouaddi could thus compete with Samir El Mourabet for the position of understudy to Neil El Aynaoui, who established himself as number 6 of the Moroccans during the last CAN.
Achraf Hakimi and his teammates (the star captain should be fully recovered) meet in three weeks to prepare for the World Cup. Morocco will play two preparation matches, against Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago, on June 2 in Rabat, then against Norway, on June 7 in New York, before challenging Brazil on the first day of the World Cup, on June 13 at MetLife Stadium, in the suburbs of the Big Apple.
