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Rising star Ayoub Bouaddi achieved a remarkable feat at the World Cup finals. The midfielder started for Morocco in their quarter-final clash against France, becoming the second-youngest player in history to feature in a World Cup quarter-final.
At precisely 18 years and 280 days old, the Lille midfielder came incredibly close to matching the long-standing record held by football legend Pelé. The Brazilian remains the only player ahead of him in this prestigious ranking, having debuted in a quarter-final back in 1958 against Wales at just 17 years and 239 days old.
Behind Bouaddi in the historical ranking of youngest players at this stage are names like England's Jude Bellingham, who played in a quarter-final at 19 years and 164 days (in 2022 against France), and Italy's Federico Chiesa, who debuted in the same phase at 20 years and 241 days. This underscores the unique nature of the Moroccan teenager's achievement.
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