Bouaddi targeted on social media after France-Morocco: "I don't regret my choice"

Ayyoub Bouaddi endured a barrage of mocking comments throughout the quarter-final evening. After Morocco’s defeat to France (0-2) in the 2026 World Cup, the 18-year-old LOSC midfielder became the prime target of social media due to his selection choice, finalized just weeks before the tournament began.

A French youth international, Bouaddi had decided to commit definitively to the Lions of the Atlas. This deliberate choice drew particular scrutiny from the start of the World Cup. Against France, he struggled against Adrien Rabiot and Manu Koné, delivering one of his least convincing performances of the competition — despite having quickly established himself as a starter in Mohamed Ouahbi’s system.

Some online users judged that he had made the wrong choice; others argued he wouldn’t have had a place with the Blues anyway. Bouaddi chose to respond in the mixed zone with a Nelson Mandela quote: “I never lose, either I win or I learn.”

When directly asked about his pre-World Cup decision, the player did not waver. “I don’t regret choosing Morocco. It’s a choice of the heart, no matter what happens,” he said. “Things don’t necessarily go as planned. We’ll give everything to come back even stronger.” On Morocco’s campaign overall, he added: “We would have liked to go further, but these are things that are built, we’re not world champions overnight.”

At 18, Bouaddi is competing in his first World Cup. Selection choices rest on sporting and personal criteria — family attachment, playing style, individual trajectory — that belong only to the player concerned. A difficult quarter-final, however heavily publicized, is not enough to invalidate a decision of this nature.