Bouaddi chooses Morocco after Deschamps left him out of France's World Cup squad

Ayyoub Bouaddi will not wear the France shirt at the 2026 World Cup. The 19-year-old midfielder, trained in France and holder of ten caps with the France U-21 side, chose to represent Morocco after Didier Deschamps decided not to include him in his final squad before stepping down after fourteen years as France manager.

Deschamps had publicly acknowledged the player’s situation during last March’s gathering, without offering him a lifeline: “He has the freedom to choose between France and Morocco. I haven’t spoken with him, that’s not how I operate. We follow his performances. There is very strong competition. It will be his choice.” The manager had also felt that Bouaddi was “not quite ready yet” for the pressure of a World Cup final tournament, preferring to rely on proven commodities rather than a profile still in the confirmation phase, despite praise from National Technical Director Hubert Fournier, who had called him a “unique talent”.

The choice of the Senlis native has since fueled regrets among sections of the French public. On social network X, one supporter summed up the bitterness of some by writing: “I will never forgive Didier Deschamps”, in reaction to a video of Bouaddi’s performance against Mali (1-1) in Morocco colors.

The regrets are amplified by the player’s profile, which corresponds precisely to what new France manager Zinedine Zidane is looking for. Unlike his predecessor, Zidane has opted for a three-man midfield with a stated desire to bring technical quality to that area, suggesting that Bouaddi would have had every chance of featuring in his squads. The player, now under contract with Manchester City, has in any case definitively committed to the Morocco project for the World Cup.