Just before the 2026 Fifa World Cup, The National picked five youngsters from the Middle East and North Africa who could make an impact at the global finals.
Three months later, we check in on where the players are and how they are developing. Two are now on the shortlist for one of football’s most prestigious youth awards, the 2026 Kopa Trophy; two are fighting for minutes at their clubs while another has shone, as always, for his club but has been left out by his national team.
Below we look at how each of the five has fared since the World Cup ended.
Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco)
Age: 18
Club: Manchester City
Bouaddi made a big impression in North America as he debuted for Morocco, demonstrating his intelligence, composure and ability to dictate the game as a prodigious 18-year-old. His performances earned him a move to Manchester City from Lille for a fee of €100 million.
He made his City debut off the bench against Crystal Palace before Enzo Maresca handed him his first start in the Uefa Champions League against Porto. Bouaddi stole the show, completing 54 of his 55 passes in a 2-0 win. Remarking on Bouaddi's performance, Pat Nevin, commentating for BBC 5 Live, noted: "His age, his game – he looks absolutely born to do it ... I cannot take my eyes off Bouaddi, he looks very special.”
His teammate Erling Haaland had already noted how good the youngster had looked in training before concluding at the end of the game, "I think we have got a gem there."
City boss Enzo Maresca is keen to ease the midfielder into life in England. Bouaddi set up Rayan Cherki’s goal in the 5-0 League Cup win over Norwich City last week but was rested in the 5-3 thriller against Sunderland on Sunday. City boast a plethora talent, and Elliot Andersonson and Enzo Fernandez appear to be ahead of him in the pecking order for now.
One of 10 nominees for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best player in the world under 21, Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi has backed him to win it. It’s unlikely when the competition is Lamine Yamal. Still, Bouaddi has been named in the squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Gabon and Lesotho.
Ibrahim Maza (Algeria)
Age: 20
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Maza is the second player to have made it onto the Kopa Trophy shortlist and has become the brightest light in a stuttering start to the season for Bayer Leverkusen.
The club sacked Kasper Hjulmand in June and replaced him with Spaniard Carles Martinez, whose reign began in humiliating fashion as the team lost 3-2 to newly promoted Elversberg. Leverkusen were 3-0 down inside 46 minutes.
Maza was one of the few to emerge from that game with any credit, providing an assist. A week later, against Union Berlin, he was named man of the match in a 4-0 win. Physical and impactful, he evaded pressure with style and proved to be a consistent threat on the right, capping off a tremendous display with a finish into the top corner.
Maza has a contract that runs until 2030, and yet Leverkusen are already looking to reward the player for his brilliant start to the season. According to reports in Germany, preliminary talks have been held with a view to extend his contract and increase his salary.
Illness ruled him out of the Europa League win against NK Celje, but he returned to start the move that led to Miguel Gutierrez’s goal in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig. Maza has set himself an ambitious target of 30 goal contributions this season and insists it’s "not impossible".
Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt)
Age: 18
Club: Barcelona
Egypt enjoyed a thrilling World Cup, although they were knocked out by Argentina in the last 16 in controversial circumstances. Abdelkarim featured in four of their five games. Upon his return to Catalonia, the youngster made waves in pre-season, becoming Barcelona’s top scorer with four goals in five games.
He made history on August 31 when he became the first Egyptian to play a competitive match for the club’s first team. His appearance against Rayo Vallecano lasted only four minutes, and he has since been an unused substitute in all the other games.
The late arrival of Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal on deadline day has pushed him further down the pecking order. According to local reports, the club were deliberately keeping him out of the team while they re-negotiated his contract.
His previous deal contained a modest release clause, but last week, the player affectionately dubbed ‘Haaland of the Nile’, signed a new contract with the Blaugrana until 2030 and the clause has since risen to above €100m.
"When someone asks me which players I look up to and learn from, I think Haaland is an amazing striker," Abdelkarim explained following his contract renewal. "He has a lot of strengths. Always when I watch him, I find something I can learn from him and something I can do to improve my game."
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has named him in the squad for the upcoming qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Rayan Elloumi (Tunisia)
Age: 19
Club: Vancouver Whitecaps
Tunisia had a World Cup to forget, and Elloumi’s summer continued in the same vein, at least initially. Against Tigres in Monterrey on August 12, the forward had a goal ruled out for offside and then sent his penalty over the bar as the Whitecaps lost a Leagues Cup penalty shootout 5-4 and exited the tournament without a win.
Coach Jesper Sorensen kept faith, and the teenager repaid him within days. Elloumi scored in the 2-0 win at Seattle Sounders, and his performance was appreciated by local Canadian media, noting his qualities were “rare for an 18-year-old to show at the senior level". He struck in the 90th minute of a 3-0 win against Sporting Kansas City, remaining alert as he swept home a rebound.
He has since been fighting for minutes with Brian White, the first-choice striker. Used sparingly, he only came on for 10 minutes in the 3-0 win over Salt Lake on Sunday night. He will be given more minutes going forward, but the player must keep capitalising on all opportunities. The Whitecaps lead in the Western Conference standings.
On the international front, Tunisia appointed Mouin Chaabani, twice an African champion with Esperance, on a four-year deal in July. Elloumi switched allegiance to Tunisia earlier this year and has been picked for upcoming matches against Uganda and Botswana in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Musab Al Juwayr (Saudi Arabia)
Age: 23
Club: Al Qadsiyah
Saudi Arabia proved disappointing at the World Cup and performed below expectations. Nonetheless, Al Juwayr was named Saudi player of the season last term and rightfully referred to as the nation’s talisman.
However, things have taken a turn for the worse with the creative midfielder excluded from the national team camp in Jeddah on Saturday, just days before the Arabian Gulf Cup kicks off. Mukhtar Ali has been called up to replace him.
Unverified reports on social media claimed he had ordered a takeaway meal against team rules, but the national team’s executive director, Fahad Al Mufarrij, denied the rumours. Instead, he revealed the player was excluded for a disciplinary violation.
He explained that players had been briefed on the camp’s disciplinary rules from the outset. Al Juwayr was initially given a verbal warning after a first breach, but repeated the offence, prompting the coaching and administrative staff to remove him from the camp.
It is a blow to the national team considering his club form. He has started all seven of Al Qadsiyah’s matches this season and provided two assists, including one in a 3-2 win over Al Ahli. That performance perfectly encapsulates why the player is so essential to the future of the team and the country.
