‘No Regrets Over Choosing Morocco After World Cup Exit’ – Bouaddi

July 10 (THEWILL) — Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi has reaffirmed his commitment to the Atlas Lions, insisting he has no regrets about choosing to represent the North African nation despite their quarter-final exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 18-year-old, one of the tournament’s breakout stars, made the remarks after Morocco’s 2-0 defeat to France, the country of his birth, in Boston on Thursday.

Bouaddi committed his international future to Morocco in May after previously representing France at the youth level, including captaining the French Under-21 side earlier this year.

Reflecting on his decision after the defeat, the Lille midfielder said wearing the Moroccan jersey was an emotional choice that he remains proud of.

“There’s absolutely no regret at having chosen Morocco,” Bouaddi said.

“I always said that it was a choice from the heart, and I’m very proud to represent Morocco, regardless of what happens.”

The teenager praised the commitment shown by his teammates throughout the tournament and admitted the squad had hoped to give Moroccan supporters another historic run.

“The most important thing now is that we know the players, the staff, everyone that whatever happens, we’ll always give everything for the shirt,” he said.

“We’re proud, although we’d hoped to make the Moroccan people even prouder. For future competitions, we’ll know what we still have to improve to go as far as possible.”

Born and raised in northern France, Bouaddi established himself as one of Morocco’s standout performers during the tournament, impressing on his competitive debut against Brazil before becoming a regular in the starting lineup.

However, he found opportunities limited against a disciplined French side that booked a place in the semi-finals with a comfortable victory.

“We knew we were up against a very good France team,” Bouaddi added.

“We gave everything we had and gave 100 per cent, but that’s football, you can’t always win.

“This match will help us grow. It will show us what we need to improve before the next competitions. It’s those small details that we have to work on if we want to go even further.”

Although Morocco’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals, the Atlas Lions made history by becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in consecutive tournaments, further cementing their growing reputation on the global stage.