Bouaddi joins Pelé in World Cup history books | OneFootball

From the moment referee Facundo Tello blew the whistle to get the 2026 World Cup quarter-final between France and Morocco under way, Ayyoub Bouaddi had already secured his place in World Cup history.

At 18 years and 280 days old, the Moroccan midfielder became the second-youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup quarter-final.

Only Pelé was younger, having featured against Wales in 1958 at the age of 17 years and 239 days, when he announced himself to the world by scoring the only goal in Brazil's 1-0 victory.

Bouaddi's rise is all the more striking given his close links to France. Born in the Paris region, the Lille midfielder came through the French youth system and was still representing the country's Under-21 side just over three months ago.

That changed in May, when he opted to switch his international allegiance to Morocco. Since receiving his first senior call-up, Bouaddi has earned eight caps, five of them coming during this World Cup, where he has quickly established himself as one of the tournament's brightest young talents.