Young Soccer Star Shines in First World Cup Game

An 18-year-old soccer player named Ayyoub Bouaddi made his World Cup debut on Saturday. He played for Morocco against Brazil in New Jersey. The young midfielder helped his team tie 1-1 with the famous Brazilian team. It was his first big international game, but he played like a veteran.

Bouaddi moved across the field with confidence during the match. He touched the ball 86 times, more than any other Morocco player. His passing was over 90% accurate, which means he almost never lost the ball to the other team. He would run forward with the ball stuck to his feet while defenders tried to stop him.

The teenager has been playing for a French team called Lille. Morocco's coaches worked hard to convince him to play for their country instead of France. FIFA, the organization that runs world soccer, only approved his switch to Morocco on May 15. Saturday's game was just his fourth time playing for Morocco.

Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi was very happy with Bouaddi's performance. The coach said they had many meetings to persuade the young player to choose Morocco. Bouaddi had been the captain of France's under-21 team as recently as March. He took his time deciding which country to represent.

Bouaddi first got attention when he turned 17 years old. On his birthday, he played a full 90-minute game for Lille against Real Madrid in the Champions League. His team won 1-0, and his teammates carried him on their shoulders after the game. His coach at the time said Bouaddi was very intelligent and had the talent to play at the highest level.

The young soccer star is also very smart in school. When he was 16, he earned top honors in his science studies a year early. At age 15, he won a speaking contest at the French president's palace. He gave a speech in front of the French first lady about whether results are more important than methods.

After Saturday's game, Bouaddi did not speak to reporters. Instead, he let his excellent play on the field do all the talking. His performance showed that he belongs on the world's biggest soccer stage.