We’ve been treated to some breakout stars at this World Cup, but perhaps nobody has caught the eye quite as much as 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Just weeks after the teenager switched his international allegiance from France to Morocco, the young star has thrived in his defensive midfield role.
Making his World Cup debut in just his fourth cap, he stole the show in the team’s opening game of the tournament against Brazil.
No other Moroccan player had more touches (87) or completed more passes (60) in the game.
His fearlessness on the big stage has already seen him linked with a host of big clubs across Europe.
The teen, though, is no stranger to breaking new ground.
He became the youngest soccer player to ever take the pitch for Ligue 1 side Lille when he made his senior debut just a few days after turning 16 in 2023. He’s already made over 60 appearances in France’s top league.
And it’s not just on the field where he’s making waves.
Off it, he’s earned 16 top honors in his science baccalaureate, a year ahead of schedule.
One year earlier, he had gone to the Élysée Palace and, in front of French first lady Brigitte Macron, won first prize in the youth academy’s oratory competition, delivering his speech on the theme, “Is the result superior to the method?”
You have to say so far it very much is!