THE WUNDERKIND AND THE WANDERER

A prodigy and an ‘anti-prodigy’ are the most impressive breakout stars this year

- KARTHIK RAVINDRANATH

On June 5, 2023, the chandeliers, 19th century paintings and gilded ceilings of the Elysee Palace in Paris looked down on a gathering of around 150 people.

A 15-year-old stepped forward to face the audience, including first lady Brigitte Macron, for the final of an oratory competition. If the grand setting made Ayyoub Bouaddi nervous, he didn’t show it. As he spoke, he maintained eye contact with his audience, used his hands to complement the different intonations that he employed and never consulted his notes. It was as if he knew he was going to win.

On June 13, 2026, Bouaddi brought that confidence to the World Cup. In a competitive debut for the ages, against five-time world champions Brazil at the venue that will host the World Cup final, the 18-year-old French-born Moroccan had names like Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes chasing his shadow in the midfield. Once again, he was unfazed by the setting. In fact, in the 87th minute, he took the time to applaud a pass played under pressure by teammate Chadi Riad, before gathering the ball and gliding forward. It was as if he knew he was going to dominate Brazil.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said as much. “He didn’t impress me because we already know what a player he is,” he said. “We were... certain that he'd have a big match.... It (Brazil) wasn’t the kind of match for taking risks.”

Though he played only twice in the group stage—he was rested for the third match against Haiti—the No. 6 was one of the standout performers of the round. He had a more difficult game in the round of 32 against the Netherlands, but still held his own against a midfield run by Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong. Overall, in terms of pedigree of performances in his position, his arrival at the World Cup stage is comparable with Kylian Mbappe's in 2018. The difference is Mbappe was already a household name, having moved for €180 million before his maiden World Cup.