Ayyoub Bouaddi: The Prodigy Who Chose Morocco Over France

Olivier Giroud knows a prodigious talent when he sees one.

"I played with Kylian Mbappe when he was 18," the BBC Sport pundit said. "He was so mature for his age and I have the same feeling with Ayyoub."

It is a bold statement.

However, Giroud is not merely jumping on the bandwagon following Ayyoub Bouaddi's impressive World Cup debut for Morocco against Brazil last week.

The pair are club team mates at Lille and Giroud has personally witnessed Bouaddi's desire to get better day in, day out.

This is a midfielder who has attracted interest from clubs across Europe for a reason following his fearless performances in the middle of the park.

So his "rise to prominence is nothing new", in the words of another Lille insider.

The manner in which Bouaddi impressed on the big stage did not come as a surprise to anyone in Creil, either, where the 18-year-old grew up in northern France.

"No one is shocked here," said his former coach Sofiane Khair. "For us, it's logical."

No wonder Morocco and France both desperately wanted Bouaddi to play for them.

Giroud, a World Cup winner, was in his ear, "teasing him the whole year regarding picking France".

Yet Bouaddi opted against it.

Bouaddi may have represented Les Bleus throughout the youth age groups, but he has always been immensely proud of his family's roots.

Explaining his ultimate decision to declare for Morocco, rather than the country of his birth, Bouaddi uploaded an old photograph on Instagram.

It captured the then ten-year-old in a Morocco shirt as he watched on from the stands at the 2018 World Cup.

"I am aware of the privilege I have to defend these colours and I will give everything to best represent my country," he vowed.

Bouaddi certainly backed up those words in the New York New Jersey Stadium.

Such was his influence, no other Moroccan player had more touches than Bouaddi (87) or completed more passes (60) in the 1-1 draw against Brazil.

As others wilted in the heat, Bouaddi repeatedly dribbled past yellow shirts and took Morocco up the pitch, even in the final minutes.

Bouaddi did not shy away from the gritty side of the game, either, winning nine duels, as Brazil veteran Casemiro discovered after being unceremoniously left in a heap at one point.

Casemiro was tellingly substituted at half-time following what Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi called a "masterclass" of a performance from Bouaddi.

However, again, to those who know Bouaddi best, such as former Creil coach Armand Doue, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"He does this kind of match every weekend on the pitches of Ligue 1," he said.

Bouaddi's ability to step up in such fashion has been a constant throughout his burgeoning career.

The platform may be even greater at the World Cup, but the unfazed teenager has relished competing against older players for much of his life.

He became the youngest footballer to ever play for Lille when he made his senior debut against KI just a few days after turning 16 in 2023.

He was serenaded by those inside the Stade Pierre-Mauroy after helping Lille defeat Real Madrid in the Champions League on his 17th birthday.

He then broke a record held by Eden Hazard after making 50 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille at the age of just 18.

It is already quite a CV but what has struck Giroud, in particular, is Bouaddi's willingness to take advice on board.

His "perfect team-mate" knows he is far from the finished article.

"He's a proper box-to-box player, but he needs to improve some things, like his finishing," Giroud said.

Bouaddi's wait for a first senior goal goes on as he prepares to face Scotland in Morocco's next World Cup game on Friday.

However, his thirst to improve is a recurring theme.

He still works with Diop, who describes him as "a player who always questions himself because he is a perfectionist".

This trait also quickly struck coach Mickael Delestrez when Bouaddi made the jump to Lille's under-17s at the age of 15.

"He's one of those boys who, during his first game playing up an age group, would ask, 'What do you expect from me?'"

"His reflective nature leads to him constantly questioning his game - what could he have done better or what should he have done differently?"

"He possesses this analytical ability that allows him to continually challenge himself."

The same is true of his approach to life away from the pitch.

Bouaddi has been studying for a mathematics degree in his spare time and previously won an oratory competition after delivering a speech at Elysee Palace.

He was always a little different.

Coach Khair knows that only too well after seeing Bouaddi take some of his first steps in the game at Creil.

"Ayyoub didn't have a PlayStation or a Nintendo DS," he said. "When he wasn't playing, he stayed at home reading books or doing his homework."

"He never had fast food, either. When we went to tournaments, he was the only kid who did not eat burgers or pizza."

"He's the same now as he was when he was 10."

Additional reporting by Alex Bysouth