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Messi, Mbappe selected into 2026 World Cup Best XI
Sandy Verma | July 22, 2026 8:24 PM CST

Midfielder: Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco)

The 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi (in red) featured in five of Morocco’s six matches, making history as the first African teenager to play five World Cup games.

The young star played a pivotal role in Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil and their 1-0 win over Scotland in the group stage. He also impressed during their penalty shootout victory against the Netherlands in the Round of 32 and their 3-0 win against Canada in the Round of 16, before they fell 0-2 to France in the quarterfinals.

Born in France, Bouaddi switched to play for his father’s homeland just over a month before the tournament. Following his standout performances, several clubs are reportedly preparing transfer offers for the Lens midfielder, where he has played 78 matches over the past two seasons.


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