Brazil 1-1 Morocco: Ayyoub Bouaddi, the 18-year-old who dominated Brazil and is eyed by Arsenal

Vinicius Junior left the pitch at the MetLife Stadium with the man-of-the-match trophy in Brazil's World Cup opener against Morocco. It was hardly a surprise: Brazil's number seven was one of the few players to shine in yellow on Saturday, June 13, and controlled the attacking play. From the Moroccan side, the 1-1 draw came down to the collective strength of the squad, particularly in the first half, and to the brilliance of a young prospect.

Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, looked like a veteran in the Moroccan midfield. Wanted by France, the number six chose instead to represent the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists in the early stages of his career. He has arrived as a major boost to Mohamed Ouahbi's young project, capable of pressing high to disrupt Brazil's build-up play.

Ayyoub Bouaddi helped pile the pressure on Brazil

Of all the central midfielders on show, Bouaddi was the one who showed the most maturity in controlling the ball for Morocco. At one point in the first half, his side had as much as 70 per cent possession against Brazil, who were even showing signs of nerves trying to stop their opponents in their World Cup opener.

The Lille midfielder misplaced just six of his 66 attempted passes across the 90 minutes in New Jersey. By comparison, Casemiro, who left the pitch at half-time with a complaint, touched the ball only 18 times. Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro's midfield partner in the starting eleven, completed 38 passes.

Bouaddi did not only make the difference on the ball against Brazil. Operating just behind the attacking line, the holding midfielder applied pressure on Brazil's mistakes. The opening goal of the match came precisely from his pressing, alongside Noussair Mazraoui and Bilal El Khannouss closing down Lucas Paqueta.

In the move that followed, with the ball recovered, Mazraoui found a diagonal pass for Brahim Diaz, who slipped Ismael Saibari into space to dink the ball over Alisson and score Morocco's only goal of the night. Bouaddi also won nine of his 14 ground duels in midfield.

Arsenal step up their pursuit of Bouaddi

Such a performance against Brazil will only have intensified Arsenal's interest in the teenager. According to multiple reports, including Sacha Tavolieri on Sky Sport Switzerland, the Gunners are stepping up their efforts to land the Lille midfielder this summer and have been in regular contact with his entourage since the start of 2025.

Mikel Arteta's side, who lifted the Premier League title last season, are competing with Paris Saint-Germain for the 18-year-old's signature, but Arsenal believe they hold two key advantages over the French champions. The Gunners have indicated to Bouaddi's camp that he would be given an important role from the outset at the Emirates Stadium, a message that has reportedly resonated with the player, and they are not a direct competitor of Lille in Ligue 1.

Lille, however, are understood to be holding out for around €70m (£60m). Initial bids from Arsenal in the region of €45m (£39m) have been rebuffed, with further discussions between the parties planned for after the World Cup.

After the 1-1 draw with Brazil, Morocco are preparing for another decisive fixture in their bid for a knockout spot. The North African side face Scotland on Friday, June 19, at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.