Bouadi postpones the settlement between Morocco and France

Ayoub Bouadi, the French U-21 national team midfielder of Moroccan origin, confirmed on Sunday that he has not yet decided on his final choice regarding defending the “Blue” or “Atlas Lions” colors in the long term, without setting a deadline for that, two months before the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Bouadi, 18 years old, said in a press conference on the eve of the French national team’s match against its Icelandic guest in the European Under-21 Cup qualifiers: “Until now, I have not made my decision. Choosing the national team is certainly an important decision in any player’s career. I need some time, and I do not want to rush.”

When asked about the possibility of making his decision two months before the World Cup, the young midfielder replied: “No, there is no specific timing. It is a personal decision, a decision of the heart. There is also something related to the family and what those close to you want. There is no pressure in this aspect.”

Bouadi has played nine matches with the France U-21 national team so far. The most recent was against Luxembourg (5-1) on Thursday, when he carried the captain’s armband for the first time.

Bouadi imposed himself in the ranks of Lille, despite his young age, specifically at the age of sixteen, when he played his first professional match, which was in the Conference League competition against Ke Klaksvik from the Faroe Islands. At that time, he became the youngest player in his club’s history to play in a professional match and in a European competition.

On October 2, 2024, his seventeenth birthday, he started in his first Champions League match, which was against Spanish Real Madrid. He played the entire match, which ended in a 1-0 victory for his team, during which he impressed everyone with the maturity of his performance and his technical accuracy, as he succeeded in 43 passes out of 44.

Since then, the Moroccan League, the guardian of the game, led by its president, Faouzi Lakjaa, and former coach Walid Regragui, has sought to include him. Within the framework of his project, through which he succeeded in convincing many young talents with dual citizenship on the old continent to defend the colors of their country of origin, such as Bilal Al-Khanous, Shams Al-Din Talbi, Ismail Al-Sibari, Elias Ben Al-Saghir, Ibrahim Dias, and Issa Diop.

Regragui said, in a press conference in March 2025: “We are talking with the players and studying all the files, and we want the best players for Morocco. And of course, Bouadi is one of the biggest talents for the future of world football, and we are doing everything possible to bring him to the national team.”