Ayyoub Bouaddi
Active- Current or last club
- Manchester City
- Country (nationality)
- Morocco
- League or competition
- Premier League
- Position
- Midfielder
- How is the religion known?
- Reported by reputable media
- Last checked
- 7 October 2026
We list a player’s religion only where they have spoken about it publicly or it has been reliably reported, and we link our sources. If something is wrong, or a player’s views have changed, please tell us and we will review it.
Table of Contents
What religion is Ayyoub Bouaddi?
Ayyoub Bouaddi is a Moroccan professional footballer who is a practicing Muslim, coming from a Moroccan family of Shilha Berber origin. Raised in a household that deeply valued Islamic traditions alongside academic excellence, he has been recognized among prominent young Muslim talents in global football.
Bouaddi plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Morocco national team. He is a product of the Lille Academy youth system. In 2023, he broke into Lille’s senior squad, famously setting records as the youngest player ever to feature in a European club competition and the youngest to make 50 Ligue 1 appearances for the club. Manchester City then signed him in August 2026 for a record-breaking transfer worth £85.6 million.
Early life
Born in Senlis, France, Bouaddi is of Moroccan descent, with family roots tracing to the Shilha Berber community in Tiznit. He began playing youth football at age five with AFC Creil, remaining with the local club from 2012 until 2021. Despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco, Bouaddi chose to join the youth academy of Lille in 2021 at age 13.
Lille
Bouaddi signed his first professional contract with Lille in August 2023, just over two years after joining the club’s academy. After featuring for the reserve side, Lille B, he was handed his senior debut by manager Paulo Fonseca during the 2023–24 season, making 18 appearances across all competitions that campaign.
On 2 October 2024, his 17th birthday, Bouaddi became the youngest player in the club’s history to start a UEFA Champions League match, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 home victory over Real Madrid. His performances drew transfer interest from clubs across Europe, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, AC Milan, and Juventus. He established himself as a regular starter in midfield, helping Lille secure a third-place finish in Ligue 1 and a consecutive Champions League qualification.
On 5 December 2025, Bouaddi signed a contract extension with Lille running until June 2029. In January 2026, he broke the record previously held by Eden Hazard to become the youngest player to reach 50 Ligue 1 appearances for the club.
Manchester City
On 26 August 2026, Manchester City completed the signing of Bouaddi from Lille for a reported £85.6 million on a five-year contract. With this price tag, Bouaddi became the most expensive teenage signing in Premier League history, surpassing the previous record set by Leny Yoro’s move to Manchester United in 2024. He made his debut on 28 August 2026, in a 4–1 league match victory over Crystal Palace.
On September 8, 2026, he was handed his first full start in a 2–0 Champions League win over FC Porto. He recorded a 96% pass completion rate and won praise from teammate Erling Haaland, who publicly labeled him “a gem.
International career
Bouaddi represented France across various youth international tiers, featuring from the under-16 to under-21 levels between 2022 and 2026 and captaining the under-21 team. On 15 May 2026, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation announced that FIFA had officially approved his request to switch his international allegiance to Morocco, the country of his family’s heritage.
He was subsequently named to Morocco’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making his senior international debut as a starter against Brazil. Bouaddi emerged as one of the breakout stars of the tournament, starting five matches to help Morocco reach the quarter-finals and becoming the first African teenager to make five World Cup appearances, achieving the milestone at the age of 18 years and 280 days.
