| Bouaddi with Lille in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 October 2007 | ||
| Place of birth | Senlis, France | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lille | ||
| Number | 32 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2021 | AFC Creil | ||
| 2021–2023 | Lille | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023 | Lille B | 3 | (0) |
| 2023– | Lille | 57 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022–2023 | France U16 | 8 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | France U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2024 | France U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2024 | France U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2024– | France U21 | 9 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 26 March 2026 | |||
Ayyoub Bouaddi (born 2 October 2007) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille. [1]
After starting football as a child in Creil, Bouaddi joined Lille academy in 2021. On 21 August 2023, he signed his first professional contract with the club until June 2026. [2]
On 5 October 2023, Bouaddi made his senior debut for Lille in a UEFA Europa Conference League group stage match against Faroese club KÍ which ended as a goalless draw. [3] At the age of 16 years and 3 days, this made him the youngest player ever to play in a European club competition game. [4] He also became the youngest player to appear in an official match for Lille, a record which was previously held by Joël Henry since 1978. [5] On 22 October, at 16 years and 20 days, he became the youngest player in Ligue 1 since Joël Fréchet in 1981. [6]
A year later, on 2 October 2024, Bouaddi became one of the youngest Lille players to start in a UEFA Champions League match, playing on his 17th birthday in a 1–0 home win against Real Madrid in the 2024–25 league phase. [7] He started alongside captain Benjamin André, following a series of absences in the midfield with the Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, Ethan Mbappé and Ngal'ayel Mukau's injuries, Angel Gomes' suspension, adding to Nabil Bentaleb and André Gomes' non-qualification. [7] Being one of the best players on the pitch, his performance was praised by various media. [8] [9] [10] After the final whistle, Lille ultras sang Joyeux Anniversaire (French for "Happy Birthday to You") with the players for Bouaddi when celebrating the win. [11]
Bouaddi is a France youth national team player. [12] [13] Although it circulated in the press that he would be called up to the Morocco national team in March 2026, he was eventually not selected and instead returned to the France under-21s. [14]
Born in France, Bouaddi is of Moroccan origin. [15] In June 2023, at the Elysée Palace, he won the fourth eloquence competition for French soccer academies. [16]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lille B | 2023–24 | National 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Lille | 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 [a] | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 [b] | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 [c] | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| Total | 57 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 90 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 60 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 93 | 0 | ||