Morocco's 2026 World Cup stars are already attracting firm interest from Europe's biggest clubs after the Atlas Lions' impressive performance in their 1-1 draw with Brazil on Saturday night.
Mohamed Ouahbi's side earned rave reviews having gone toe-to-toe with the record five-time winners at MetLife Stadium, and their goalscorer, Ismael Saibari, has now moved one step closer to joining German giants Bayern Munich.
Vincent Kompany's side have been tracking the PSV Eindhoven player for some time but lodged a firm bid after the 25-year-old's all-action display against the Selecao.
Fearing late competition for his signature, the Bavarians upped their offer and met PSV's asking price. The versatile Saibari will cost the German champions €50 million and a further €5m in bonuses with the Dutch club also entitled to a sell-on clause.
Saibari has been at PSV since 2020 but flourished last season with 19 goals and nine assists in 37 games across competitions.
Typically an attacking midfielder, Saibari excelled in a false nine role for the Atlas Lions in their Group C opener, scoring his 10th goal for his country with a sublime chip midway through the first half.
Best of 2026 World Cup so far – in pictures
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US President Donald Trump and Fifa president Gianni Infantino alongside the 2026 World Cup champions: Spain. Reuters -
Ferran Torres scores Spain's first goal past Argentina's Emiliano Martinez in the 106th minute of extra time at the World Cup final. Reuters -
Argentina's Lionel Messi after losing out to Spain in the final. Reuters -
England's players with their medals, after winning the third-place play-off against France in Miami. AFP -
French striker Kylian Mbappe challenges English defender Ezri Konsa at the Miami Stadium. AFP -
England forward Bukayo Saka, centre, celebrates after scoring his team's fifth goal. AFP -
Enzo Fernandez of Argentina celebrates scoring the equaliser against England at Atlanta Stadium. AFP -
Anthony Gordon scores the opening goal for England against Argentina. EPA -
Spain's players celebrate after beating France to reach the World Cup final. Reuters -
Spanish forward Lamine Yamal, left, is challenged by French defender Theo Hernandez in Arlington. AFP -
France forward Kylian Mbappe shows his disappointment during the semi-final defeat to Spain. AFP -
Mikel Merino celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Belgium in Inglewood. AFP -
Messi controls the ball against Switzerland's Granit Xhaka during the quarter-final match between Argentina and Switzerland in Kansas City. AFP -
Jude Bellingham celebrates after winning the quarter-final match between Norway and England in Miami. AFP -
France talisman Kylian Mbappe was on target in his team's 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco. EPA -
Gessime Yassine looks dejected after the match as Morocco's World Cup comes to an end. Reuters -
Fans in Buenos Aires celebrate Argentina's victory against Egypt. Getty Images -
Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Egypt in Atlanta. AFP -
Gregor Kobel of Switzerland saves Cucho Hernandez's penalty for Colombia in the shoot-out in Vancouver. AFP -
Portugal's Bernardo Silva is left in disbelief after a missed chance against Spain, in Arlington. Reuters -
Cristiano Ronaldo is dejected after the match against Spain, as his Portugal team are eliminated from the World Cup. Reuters -
Belgium's Hans Vanaken scores their third goal past Matt Freese of the US, in Seattle. Reuters -
Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere scores their first goal against the US. Reuters -
Australian referee Alireza Faghani shows a red card to England defender Jarell Quansah against Mexico. AFP -
Erling Haaland scores his and Norway's second goal against Brazil. AFP
The deal is pending a medical, which is yet to take place. Bayern also hope to conclude a deal with Eintracht Frankfurt for Germany full-back Nathaniel Brown.
Saibari isn't the only Morocco player attracting interest. Ayyoub Bouaddi stole the show against Brazil with the 18-year-old delivering an astonishingly mature performance in what was his competitive debut for the senior national team.
Bouaddi stands out immediately because of his height and mop of hair, but his elegant playing style and obvious quality have put a number of top Champions League clubs on high alert.
Morocco pushed hard to lure a player who had already captained France's U21 side, and he immediately began repaying their persistence.
Bouaddi, along with midfield partners Ounahi and Neil El Aynaoui, pressed, unsettled and dominated Brazil in the first half in New Jersey.
The Lille player, already linked with Arsenal, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, won his duels, recovered second balls and completed 61 of 66 passes in an elite midfield display.
With Bouaddi under contract until 2029, the French side are in a strong negotiating position and are reportedly demanding a fee in the region of €70m.
However, with talented defensive midfielders in short supply, that is unlikely to deter his many suitors. Premier League champions Arsenal are already said to have made an official inquiry.
“For the moment, I am only focused on the World Cup and I cannot answer to this right now,” Bouaddi told The Athletic after the 1-1 draw.
“Of course, I’m really happy to know that some clubs are interested in me. But, for now, I’m only focused on the World Cup with Morocco and we will try to give everything to do our best.”
