17-Year-Old Lille Midfielder Ranks Among World’s Top Young Talents

At just 17 years and 4 months, Ayoub Bouaddi occupies the 14th place in the ranking of the 100 best midfielders under 23 in the world, established by the International Center for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory. He is the youngest player on the list. The Moroccan-origin midfielder owes this recognition to the good performances he has achieved this season. He provided 2 assists in 27 games in all competitions, contributing to Lille’s qualification for the second round of the Champions League and its 5th place in Ligue 1. His profile is also of interest to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and France. The Franco-Moroccan prodigy has played in all the youth teams of the French national team.

Rocco Reitz, a Borussia Monchengladbach player, tops the ranking of the 100 best midfielders under 23 in the world. He is followed by Marc Casado. The latter was ranked as the second best U23 midfielder in the world. We also find many gems of European football, such as Pedri, Camavinga and Warren Zaïre-Emery, in the ranking.