“He was on our expanded list.” The French Federation reveals the reason for choosing Bouadi to represent Morocco sports

France admitted that it lost one of the most prominent emerging talents in European football, after the young midfielder Ayoub Bouadi preferred to represent the Moroccan national team at the expense of the “Roosters”, even though he graduated through all the age groups of the French national team.

Bouadi, the 18-year-old French Lille player, has become one of the most prominent discoveries of the 2026 World Cup, after the remarkable performances he performed with the “Atlas Lions”, which prompted French Federation officials to reveal for the first time the scenes of the player’s loss.

The technical director of the French Football Federation, Hubert Fournier, said in statements reported by The Athletic newspaper: “Boudi is a talent that we have been following for many years, and we know that he is an exceptional player in his age group. His loss represents an important blow to the French Federation, but the decision in the end was his personal choice.”

Fournier explained that the player, who was born in the French city of Sanlis in 2007, went through all stages of development within the French system, and was part of the plans of the coaching staff of the first team led by Didier Deschamps.

He added: “He went through all the selection stages within the federation, and he knew that he was on the expanded list of the French national team.”

But the French official acknowledged that the fierce competition within the French national team prevented him from being given an immediate opportunity to participate in the World Cup, which the Moroccan national team took advantage of to convince the player to make his international decision.

Fournier said: “We could not guarantee him participation in the World Cup at this time, because the competition within the French national team is very strong.”

According to the French official, Deschamps believed that Bouadi still needed more time before joining the first team, while Morocco presented a clearer project, based on giving him a real opportunity to participate in the World Cup.

Fournier indicated that he understood the player’s decision, adding: “I understand his point of view.”

Reports revealed that the Moroccan Federation intensified its contacts with Bouadi during the past months, as its officials were keen to visit him more than once, and they also constantly communicated with his family members, in a step that played a decisive role in convincing him to wear the “Atlas Lions” shirt.

With Bouadi’s outstanding performances in the World Cup, question marks are increasing in France about the reasons for not giving him an opportunity early with the first team, especially after he turned into one of the tournament’s most attention-grabbing players and one of the most sought-after talents in the global transfer market.