Ayyoub Bouaddi would have worn France’s blue in Boston for Thursday’s World Cup quarterfinal but will instead line up for Morocco in red. The 18-year-old will be coached by Mohamed Ouahbi rather than Didier Deschamps, and will partner Neil El Aynaoui in midfield instead of France’s Adrien Rabiot; Morocco’s captain is Achraf Hakimi, not Kylian Mbappé.
Born in Senlis, an hour north of Paris, Bouaddi represented France at every youth level and even captained the U21 side at 17. He initially turned down Morocco and declined a call-up to the Africa Cup of Nations despite overtures from then-head coach Walid Regragui.
Bouaddi grew impatient waiting for senior minutes with France. Deschamps had opportunities to call him up in March and earlier but did not, even though Deschamps has watched him play regularly — from a professional debut for Lille at 16 to a Champions League appearance against Real Madrid on his 17th birthday. Guy Stephan, Deschamps’ assistant, said the France midfield already contains a deep group of talent.
According to ESPN sources, Zinedine Zidane phoned Bouaddi weeks ago and told him he liked him but could not promise a place. Morocco’s new coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, guaranteed Bouaddi a spot at the 2026 World Cup and said he would even start in the U.S., a commitment that helped prompt the switch, according to the report. Bouaddi is one of six Morocco players born in France, including Issa Diop and Neil El Aynaoui.
The match in Boston is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal in Qatar, which France won 2-0. The French camp described the encounter as its biggest test yet in this tournament after advancing through the earlier rounds, including a stylish win over Sweden in the round of 32.
