A career built on maturity

Born in Senlis, just north of Paris, Bouaddi made his debut for Lille at 16 years and three days old. He has since accumulated 96 appearances for the French club, and only earned his first Morocco cap in May — making his World Cup impact all the more remarkable.

Last season, Bouaddi led the way for under-18 players across Europe's big five leagues in several key metrics. He logged the most minutes played (2,329) and made the most appearances (30) among that age group — ahead of the likes of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Mateus Mane. He also topped the charts for possession won (151 times), tackles (59), and interceptions (27).

Moroccan football journalist Amine el Amri drew a striking comparison to a modern great.