MANCHESTER CITY SIGN TEENAGE MOROCCAN MIDFIELDER AYYUOUB BOUADDI FROM LILLE

Sought-after Bouaddi joins the Premier League club from Lille in a five-year deal worth $117m.

Ayyoub Bouaddi played a crucial role in Morocco's run to the World Cup quarterfinals [File: Steven Senne/AP]

Manchester City have signed teenage Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in a deal worth 100 million euros ($117m), the French club has confirmed.

Lille announced Bouaddi’s departure on a five-year deal on Wednesday, putting an end to ongoing speculation about the emerging talent’s future.

Ten-time Premier League champions Manchester City were in talks to sign Bouaddi after selling Rodri to Barcelona and Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah, with Nico Gonzalez also poised to leave the Etihad.

Bouaddi was a crucial part of Morocco’s FIFA World Cup 2026 squad, showing a calm presence in the midfield as the Atlas Lions reached the quarterfinals of the tournament before falling to France.

Lille extended Bouaddi’s contract last year and, with three years remaining on the deal, they were expecting suitors to meet the 100 million euros (€117m) asking price.

“This is a very special day for me and my family,” Bouaddi said in a statement shared by City.

“Manchester City are, for me, the best club in the world.

“It’s a dream to be here and be able to call myself a City player. I have spent most of my life working hard to become the best player I can be and reach the top of the game.

“I’ve watched City for many years, and I love their style of play.

“City always try and play quality football. And they have shown they are winners – this Club feels like it’s built to win.”

Being ahead of his time has been a theme throughout Bouaddi’s career. On the eve of his 17th birthday, in 2024, the rising star helped Lille secure a famous Champions League victory over Real Madrid.

On that special October night in northern France, Bouaddi faced a midfield comprising French internationals Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Football experts have repeatedly heaped praise on Bouaddi’s ability to soak up pressure and stand out as a midfield maestro for his club and country.

Bouaddi’s versatility can be seen on the pitch. Typically, holding midfielders are known for their defensive abilities – shielding the defence from the opposition’s attacks by cutting out passing lanes – but this young talent’s repertoire includes the ability to start an attack, too.

He is now the symbol of this new team and the rising star among Moroccan fans.

“He is amazing. What a talent, what a professional at 18 years of age,” Mohammed, a Morocco fan and the manager of Restaurante Jerusalem in Barcelona, Spain, told Al Jazeera in June.

“For those that slept instead of watching Brazil versus Morocco, they missed out on discovering the new [Sergio] Busquets,” Khalil Jadallah, a football commentator, said of Bouaddi’s talent.

“He can pass, he can defend, he can carry the ball, control the tempo … all this and he is only 18 years old.”

 - Alazeera

FIFA WORLD CUP 2026: SAIBARI SCORES FASTEST GOAL OF THIS EDITION AS MOROCCO BEAT SCOTLAND 1-0

 

Massachusetts [US], June 20 (ANI): Morocco secured a clinical 1-0 victory over Scotland at Boston Stadium, with Ismael Saibari scoring the decisive goal as the Atlas Lions maintained control to claim a crucial Group C win.

Morocco completed 601 passes against Scotland, the most by an African team in a FIFA World Cup match on record since 1966, as per OptaJoe's X handle.

Morocco struck early through Saibari, who broke past the Scottish defence, controlled a precise pass from Brahim Diaz, and fired a powerful finish into the roof of the net beyond goalkeeper Angus Gunn.

The strike proved to be the fastest goal of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 and also Morocco's quickest ever at the global tournament, helping them move to four points and temporarily top Group C ahead of Brazil's fixture in Philadelphia.

After the interval, both sides created chances in an open contest. Saibari nearly doubled the lead but saw his deflected effort crash off the crossbar after a sharp move initiated by Bilal El Khannouss.

Morocco came close again when El Khannouss almost converted a near-post corner from Achraf Hakimi, only for Gunn to deny him once more.

In the closing stages, Scotland pushed hard for an equaliser, with John McGinn, Ben Gannon-Doak and Scott McTominay leading repeated attacks. However, Morocco held firm under pressure to secure all three points and complete a vital win.

During the clash, Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari etched his name into the record books after scoring the fastest goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026, finding the net just 70 seconds.

Saibari struck after only one minute and 10 seconds, surpassing the previous fastest goal of the tournament scored by Czechia's Michal Sadilek, who had netted after five minutes and seven seconds against South Africa earlier in the competition.

The early breakthrough underlined Morocco's positive start to the match and highlighted Saibari's growing influence on the international stage.

The goal also saw Saibari achieve another significant milestone. He became only the second African player to score in each of his first two FIFA World Cup appearances, joining Egypt's Mohamed Salah in the exclusive list.

In addition, the strike is now the fastest goal ever scored by Morocco at a FIFA World Cup and the second-fastest goal scored by an African nation in the tournament's history. The record for the fastest World Cup goal by an African player remains with Ghana's Asamoah Gyan, who scored against the Czech Republic during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Ismael Saibari's early effort has now become the quickest goal of the ongoing edition of the World Cup, highlighting his immediate impact in the high-profile clash.

However, the fastest goal in FIFA World Cup history remains unchanged. Turkey's Hakan Sukur still holds that record, having scored just 11 seconds into a match against South Korea in 2002. Sukur had capitalised on a defensive lapse straight from kickoff to slot home and create a milestone that continues to stand as the quickest strike in World Cup history. 

- ANI