Ayyoub Bouaddi prohibited from talking about Morocco

The subject has become taboo in the Luchin domain. During his first major interview with L’Équipe, Ayyoub Bouaddi was not able to address the question that is agitating observers: will he choose the Atlas Lions or will he continue with the Blues? LOSC threatened to cancel the interview if the subject was put on the table. Yet the 18-year-old player, the current French youth international, is already projecting himself towards the summits. He admits that the 2026 World Cup, with its new format, is "necessarily attractive" and that "everyone would like to play it".

This vagueness about his sporting nationality is accompanied by another uncertainty concerning his future at the club. Although he has just extended his contract until 2029 - a sign of recognition towards his training club and President Olivier Létang - Bouaddi is not closing any doors for next summer. If he rules out a departure this winter, he admits that a "choice will be made" at the end of the season and that "anything is possible", despite the long-term contract he has just signed.

This maturity in career management is reflected in his atypical daily life. Far from the clichés, the native of Creil juggles his career as a starter in the Champions League and a distance learning degree in mathematics. Between two training sessions, he devotes himself to arithmetic and the demonstration of axioms. For him, math is not a constraint, but a "way to get some fresh air" and to get out of the football bubble, while ensuring security for the post-career period.

This meteoric rise had its turning point on October 2, 2024. On the day of his 17th birthday, Bouaddi delivered a masterful performance against Real Madrid (1-0). That evening, facing his idols like Luka Modric, he confesses to having been "in a dream", no longer controlling anything at the final whistle, to the point of forgetting to retrieve an opposing jersey. A performance that validated the trust placed in him by Paulo Fonseca, who had launched him into the European big bath at the age of 16 years and 3 days against Klaksvik.