Africa has only ever had one Ballon d'Or winner, and the wait for someone to emulate George Weah is likely to be extended further after this year's nominations were revealed.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi and Senegal forward Sadio Mane are the continent's two names on the 30-strong list.
Both players have previously recorded top-six Ballon d'Or finishes but, after a year in which Spain lifted the Fifa World Cup and Kylian Mbappe netted 10 goals to become the tournament's all-time top scorer, the chances of the Paris St-Germain right-back or the Al-Nassr winger lifting the coveted trophy appear slim.
And it is not the first time that Africa has failed to make a big impact.
Part of the reason for the historic lack of success is down to the fact the award, which was first handed out by France Football magazine in 1956, was not open to players representing non-European nations until 1995.

#ballon #d 'or #players #george

There is a reason Matt Campbell wanted to bring Rocco Becht from Iowa State to Penn State once he took over as the head coach in Happy Valley. Becht gave Campbell and Penn State an experienced starter at the most important position on the football field, and that veteran presence was shining in the season opener against Marshall.
Becht passed for 271 yards and four touchdowns to four different wide receivers in Penn State's 45-0 victory over the Thundering Herd. With Becht leading the offense, Penn State put points on the scoreboard on each of their first three possessions in the first quarter. Becht took advantage of his existing chemistry that carried over with a handful of former Iowa State teammates like Brett Eskildsen, Chase Sowell, and tight end Ben Brahmer (all three caught one of Becht's touchdown passes), and he may have found a new favorite go-to target in Koby Howard, who had a game-high 161 receiving yards.
"I thought Rocco was really efficient today in terms of, you were getting eight, nine guys in the box, you were getting a lot of pressure," Campbell said when discussing Becht's performance in Week 1. "I didn't know exactly what to expect, and I think for Rocco to be able to handle that and distribute the ball, sometimes being a great quarterback is like being a great point guard, you got to be a great distributor of where the ball needs to go, and I thought he was outstanding today."
The success of the passing game, including when backup quarterback Alex Manske came in to relieve Becht in the second half, helped make up for a pretty slow start for the running game. Penn State had just 62 rushing yards at halftime and never seemed to find cracks for some big gains on the ground. The rushing yardage piled up a bit more in the second half as the bench started getting some time on the field. Carson Hansen led the Nittany Lions with 48 rushing yards and Cam Wallace picked up 47 yards once he got some playing time in the second half with the game well in hand.
A slow day on the ground from the starters didn't seem to bother Campbell too much in his postgame press conference, although it will certainly be something to watch in the coming weeks. But as long as the football is moving down the field, Campbell seems satisfied with the end result.

#state #campbell #getting

Penn State faced Marshall as a 23.5-point favorite in week one, crushing expectations with a 45-0 victory. They have now opened as Temple with the same line – as a 23.5-point favorite in week two over the Owls.
The Nittany Lions kicked off the Matt Campbell era with a satisfying shutout victory, with strong performances in all three phases of the game. Rocco Becht had a career-high four passing touchdowns before exiting the game early in the third quarter. Koby Howard had the breakout performance that Nittany Lion fans have been waiting for, catching six passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. The Penn State defense swarmed Marshall all game long, with Caleb Bacon among the top performers with four TFLs in a game where he seemed to nearly always find himself in the Herd backfield.
Temple also began the season on a winning note on Saturday, taking down Rhode Island 38-14. Former Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik was four-of-six passing for 57 yards and a touchdown for the Owls, while running back Keveun Mason had 192 yards from scrimmage and two scores.
Penn State will visit Temple for its first road game of the season on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon with the game airing on ESPN2.

#temple #yards #marshall #nittany

Well, it's safe to say that the new-look Nittany Lions understood the **** ignment. In Matt Campbell's first game as the head coach of the Nittany Lions, he had his squad firing on all cylinders in a commanding 45-0 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd.
Quarterback Rocco Becht looked like the most experienced QB in the FBS, and receiver Koby Howard looked like a revelation with 161 receiving yards. On the defensive side of the ball, new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn's guys were flying, led by spirited efforts from Tony Rojas and Caleb Bacon.
Here are the players of the game for the Nittany Lions.
You remember when Rocco Becht mentioned that he would try to get Koby Howard over 1,000 receiving yards in the year? They got right to it Saturday afternoon with Howard putting on a clinic.
Penn State fans have been begging for a star receiver, and they may finally have one on their hands. With 6 catches and 161 yards, Howard was the leading receiver on the day and flashed his elite skill set, with one of his catches from redshirt freshman QB Alex Manske being one of his highlight catches on the day.

#nittany #receiver #rocco #koby

ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — When Conneaut couldn't get things going through the air, the team was more than happy to shift gears against Friday in a battle of unbeaten county teams.
Wyant Dobran and Isaiah Boles combined for 143 yards of rushing, mostly in the second half, as the Spartans rallied for a 20-17 win at Corlew Stadium.
Conneaut improved to 3-0, while the Warriors fell to 2-1.
Spartans coach Rocco Dobran said the key to win was the Spartans mantra of "Team over Me" that his team lived out on the field Friday night.
"We have a lot of talent this year, but we couldn't get our receivers the ball and the line wasn't throwing great blocks, so instead we went double-tight [formation] and ran the ball, and ******* ody was mad about it," he said.

#ball #ashtabula

Elversberg will hope to live up to last week's standard as they travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the second matchday of the Bundesliga.
Eugen Polanski's side went 3-0 behind RB Leipzig when their ex-captain Rocco Reitz scored for the hosts last weekend. The former Bundesliga midfielder was hired by the club after a poor start to the season last term by Gerardo Seoane.
The 40-year-old is now a permanent coach at Borussia-Park, but there would be no guarantee to avoid a similar fate if things don't improve quickly. However, the injury crisis at the club could be one stumbling block to that challenge.
Team News
Enzo Leopold is the latest to be ruled out for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Fellow new signing Daiki Hashioka will also be absent for this one after his Bundesliga debut in Leipzig ended with injury.

#club #eugen

Neil El Aynaoui completed a deadline-day move to RB Leipzig, as the club were able to strengthen their midfield with the addition of the 25-year-old.
In his first interview since joining the Red Bulls on loan from AS Roma, the Morocco international spoke about his style of play, famous teammates and his reasons for choosing the number 21.
Welcome to RB Leipzig, Neil. What made you decide to join the Red Bulls?
Neil: "Thank you. It was always a dream of mine to play in the Bundesliga for a big club like RB Leipzig. My initial talks with the club left me with a good feeling and I was very impressed by RBL."
You've chosen the number 21 here. We've heard that there's a special reason behind your decision...

#neil #play #roma #welcome

Caroline Manzo isn't holding any ill will toward Brandi Glanville.
As In Touch previously reported, Manzo, 65, filed a lawsuit against Bravo, NBCUniversal, Peacock and Shed Media over an alleged ****** ault by Glanville, 53, while filming The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip in Morocco in January 2023.
Manzo claimed the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star got handsy, and "forcibly" kissed and groped her during a booze-fueled incident in Morocco amid production of RHUGT, halting filming and ultimately leading to the network scrapping the entire season.
Now, more than three years later, Manzo is opening up about her feelings toward Glanville and her hopes for the future as the lawsuit remains in litigation.
"I have no malice towards Brandi; I really don't. I like Brandi," the Real Housewives of New Jersey alum said during a recent appearance on the Legally Goff podcast.

#brandi #real #housewives #filming

As Penn State heads into its first game of the season against the Marshall Thundering Herd, there are still things they may be figuring out on game day. After all, with over 24 transfers to implement and a whole new coaching staff, things could look a little shaky to start the season. Still, Penn State will have a game plan they believe in and new players will be ready to showcase their potential this season.
Here are five keys to the game for the Nittany Lions this weekend.
The new-look running back room for the Nittany Lions is seemingly one of the most intriguing on the entire roster. Carson Hansen, the Iowa State transfer, looks to be slotted in as the RB1, bringing a more physical play style to the backfield. However, keep an eye out for Ohio State transfer James Peoples, who has had a fantastic camp and offers a bit more of a speed element in the backfield. Still, players like Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace will look to contribute as well. Penn State fans may be missing both Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen this season, but a plethora of options under Campbell will make this room sneaky strong. Don't be surprised if all four players get touches on Saturday.
As it stands, it looks as if freshman five-star Malachi Goodman will be tasked with the most key position on the offensive line: protecting Rocco Becht's blindside. While Marshall's D-line isn't the biggest of tests, this is still a step up in competition for the young O-lineman. That being said, expect Matt Campbell to give him easy reps to start. That could mean a lot of quick game elements, such as early screen passes or even play-action bootlegs so that Goodman is not right in the line of fire. For Campbell, it should be paramount that a player as important as Goodman will be this season doesn't feel overwhelmed in his first collegiate game.
This kind of sounds cliche, but in his first game as a Nittany Lion, Rocco Becht is playing with house money. While some fans will expect the QB from Iowa State who broke almost every single record with that program, we truly don't know what he'll look like come Saturday. Still, if Rocco Becht plays fast and loose, proving unafraid to challenge the Marshall defense through the air, then Penn State fans will start to believe that Becht could be the guy that can turn this team around. From what we've heard from camp, Becht has proven to be a great leader in the locker room and on the field as well. If that shows up on Saturday, the Nittany Lions might have just found a gem of a player.

#penn #look

The night before the transfer window shut, it seemed it would close with Enzo Fernandez still at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were asking for £135m. It was more than Manchester City were prepared to pay. It took negotiations on 1 September to bring the price down to £125m, still a joint British transfer record and a deal that took the amount committed to buying players either to or from City this summer to around three quarters of a billion.
Had Chelsea not reduced their demands – which may be seen as an indication of their willingness to get rid of Fernandez, especially when their attempt to replace him with Monaco's Lamine Camara broke down – City might not have signed a third midfielder.
Instead, they completed a £326m revamp in the centre of the pitch. There were several pertinent elements. The £116m buy Elliot Anderson was always their first choice to replace captain Bernardo Silva, who was leaving when his contract expired and who then joined Real Madrid. City took added satisfaction from knowing some of their rivals wanted Anderson, including Manchester United.
Enzo Fernandez completed a £125m move to Manchester City on deadline day (Reuters)
The £85m arrival Ayyoub Bouaddi is seen as a player with the attributes to be world class and who, despite being only 18, is expected to play a lot of games this season. The Morocco international, who is studying for a maths degree, is regarded as belonging to the tradition of intelligent midfielders at City. Significantly, perhaps, City feel he is the only specialist No 6 in their squad.

#fernandez #took #Chelsea #anderson

Sep. 2—Fans will have the opportunity to see Gonzaga no fewer than five times at McCarthey Athletic Center this season during the team's nonconference schedule.
Gonzaga's fifth known home nonconference game will take place on either Nov. 10 or 11 against Incarnate Word, according to Rocco Miller of Bracketeer.com. A tipoff time and television details for the Incarnate Word matchup, as well as Gonzaga's four other home nonleague games, will be announced at a later date.
The Zags are squeezing the Incarnate Word game into the schedule between the Nov. 7 home opener against New Mexico State and a Nov. 14 matchup against LSU and first-year coach at Numerica Veterans Arena.
It will be only the second meeting between Gonzaga and Incarnate Word, which lost 103-68 at the Kennel during the 2017-18 season. Rui Hachimura and Zach Norvell Jr. scored a combined 35 points off Gonzaga's bench, with Josh Perkins adding 16 more points for the home team.
Incarnate Word is losing its top six scorers, including three players who averaged double digits, from last year's team that finished 12-19 overall and ninth in the Southland Conference with a record of 7-15.

#nonconference

Jürgen Klopp paid a visit to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, with photos posted by the Bundesliga club showing the new Germany coach in conversation with several members of the squad, including shooting star Younes Ebnoutalib.
According to Sky Sport, Klopp and the 22-year-old forward had a lengthy conversation during the visit.
Klopp is reportedly impressed by Ebnoutalib's qualities and wants to convince the striker to represent Germany. Born in Frankfurt to a German mother and Moroccan father, Ebnoutalib is eligible to play for the DFB. He was previously called up to Morocco's U15 national team, but has yet to represent the country at senior level.
Ebnoutalib could now face a decision over his international future, with Klopp keen to persuade him to choose Germany.
The forward has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past 18 months. He was still playing fourth-tier football with FC Gießen at the start of 2025 before moving to SV Elversberg, and has since earned a Bundesliga move to Frankfurt.

#klopp

Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has announced that he is stepping back from the national team, saying he felt "humiliated" by his exclusion and subsequent reinstatement after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
The top scorer in the history of the Panthers was singled out by the Gabonese government as responsible for the AFCON failure.
"They humiliated and smeared me even though I played at the AFCON while injured," the 37-year-old said in a television interview.
"This is the last straw, and I'd rather stop here."
Gabon were eliminated from the AFCON in the group stage after three defeats, the last of which came against Ivory Coast.

#gabon #humiliated #emerick

Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has announced that he is stepping back from the national team, saying he felt "humiliated" by his exclusion and subsequent reinstatement after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The top scorer in the history of the Panthers was singled out by the Gabonese government as responsible for the AFCON failure.
"They humiliated and smeared me even though I played at the AFCON while injured," the 37-year-old said in a television interview.
"This is the last straw, and I'd rather stop here."
Gabon were eliminated from the AFCON in the group stage after three defeats, the last of which came against Ivory Coast.

#afcon #humiliated #emerick #nations

Ismael Saibari recently went back to the Netherlands to officially bid his old club PSV Eindhoven goodbye after completing a move to Bayern Munich:
In this clip, a whole section of PSV fans chanted his name:
Here, you can see more pictures of Saibari inside the stadium and photos of fans holding up flags bearing the Moroccan doing his signature salute celebration:
Saibari hit the ground running for Bayern Munich, impressing the club with his performances in preseason and making an impact on his Bundesliga debut. "Isi", as he is affectionately called within the team, bagged two ****** ists in Bayern's opening match of the Bundesliga season against Stuttgart in which he ****** isted the final two goals of a 5-1 rout. In doing so, he joins a club of players who bagged a brace of ****** ists on their Bundesliga debut.
The moment he scored that equalizer on a chilly January night in Eindhoven in the Champions League, Bayern knew they had to keep tabs on him. That decision was solidified in the World Cup after the 24-year-old shone on the world stage for Morocco. Bayern worked extensively behind the scenes and got their man, and hopefully he'll give the Bavarians that edge to fulfill their quest for glory.

#club #eindhoven #World

Hamburg have officially completed the signing of Morocco international Zakaria El Ouahdi from KRC Genk, finally landing their preferred solution on the right side after several weeks of negotiations. The 24-year-old successfully completed his medical on Sunday before signing his contract with the Bundesliga club.
According to Transfermarkt, HSV will pay an initial €8m transfer fee, with another €3m potentially due through bonuses. Genk have also reportedly secured a percentage of any future sale. The structure represents potentially excellent business for Hamburg given El Ouahdi's current estimated €17m market value.
Get German Football News reported previously that HSV had intensified their pursuit of El Ouahdi after agreeing personal terms with the player. Hamburg were preparing another attempt to reach an agreement with Genk after seeing two earlier approaches rejected.
Sporting director Claus Costa ultimately refused to abandon the pursuit or meet Genk's initial demands, with the two clubs eventually finding common ground through a lower guaranteed fee supplemented by bonuses and a sell-on clause.
El Ouahdi arrives to address one of the clearest remaining deficiencies in Hamburg's squad. Following the departures of William Mikelbrencis and Giorgi Gocholeishvili, Bakery Jatta had entered the new Bundesliga campaign with little genuine competition on the right side. Jatta subsequently struggled defensively during Hamburg's 2-0 defeat away at Borussia Dortmund.

#signing

In a recent post on X, respected journalist Fabrizio Romano offered an update on Manchester City and their pursuit of Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo. It is believed that the Mancunian club are confident about recruiting the Dutch talent once the Reds find a replacement for him in this transfer window.
Gakpo enjoyed a good run of form at the Merseyside club but struggled to be consistent for them in the Premier League. Still, the 27-year-old deserves credit for scoring nine times and picking up six **** ists in 52 matches for Liverpool last season across all fronts.
The Dutch sensation is currently among the most talented wide players in Premier League football. Therefore, it is no surprise that Man City are eager to land him in this transfer window.
His current contract at Anfield will run out in the summer of 2030, so the Mancunian club would do well to get a deal done for him before the end of this month.
GUADALUPE, MEXICO – JUNE 29: Cody Gakpo #11 of the Netherlands reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Netherlands and Morocco at Monterrey Stadium on June 29, 2026 in Guadalupe, Mexico. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

#city #Liverpool

The Philadelphia Eagles will enter the 2026 season with six rookies on their initial 53-man roster. Five members of Philadelphia's eight-player draft class survived roster cuts. Undrafted rookie Rocco Underwood also made the team after securing the long snapper position.
The Eagles retained each of their selections from the first six rounds but waived all three seventh-round picks. Cole Wisniewski, Uar Bernard and Keyshawn James-Newby will be available to other teams before Philadelphia can attempt to add them to the practice squad.
Buy Philadelphia Eagles tickets
Here are the six Eagles rookies who made the initial roster.
Round: First

#first #rookies #initial #undrafted

Hamburger SV continue to pursue the signing of KRC Genk right-back Zakaria El Ouahdi as sporting director Claus Costa seeks to resolve one of the squad's most obvious remaining deficiencies before the transfer deadline. According to the Hamburger Abendblatt, HSV have already reached a basic agreement with the 24-year-old Moroccan international.
Belgian transfer reporter Sacha Tavolieri reports that the Bundesliga club are now preparing a third offer for Genk after their first two approaches failed to produce an agreement. El Ouahdi himself reportedly favors the move. Kicker identifies the defender as Hamburg's preferred solution and reports that a deal could cost approximately €13m plus bonuses.
The Morocco international offers substantial attacking production from the right flank. El Ouahdi registered eight goals and five **** ists in 34 league appearances last season, adding another four goals across nine Europa League outings. His potential arrival would also address a weakness that Get German Football News' 2026/27 Hamburger SV tactical preview identified as one of the club's principal unresolved personnel issues.
Following the departures of William Mikelbrencis and Giorgi Gocholeishvili, Bakery Jatta currently stands as the only established option for Merlin Polzin on the right wing-back position. HSV have consequently been seeking a player capable of moving ahead of Jatta in the hierarchy.
Bayer Leverkusen full-back Arthur remains the alternative should HSV decide that El Ouahdi's overall package is too expensive. Florian Plettenberg previously reported that Hamburg had reached a basic verbal agreement with the 23-year-old Brazilian over a season-long loan without a purchase option. GGFN covered Arthur's potential departure as part of Leverkusen's extensive late-window restructuring. Die Werkself are themselves attempting to sign Strasbourg right-back Guéla Doué and are prepared to sanction Arthur's temporary departure.

#agreement #genk #jatta #league

Granada have renewed the contract of Moroccan striker Rayan Zinebi until 2029, before sending him out on loan to Real Madrid Castilla for the 2026/27 season, confirms Mundo Deportivo.
The agreement between Granada and Zinebi, who is currently representing Morocco at the 2026 Mediterranean Games with the Under-20 national team, extends his contract until June 30, 2029.
The deal also includes an option to extend it by a further two seasons, depending on the achievement of various sporting objectives.
At the same time, Granada and Real Madrid reached an agreement for Zinebi to spend the season with the Madrid club, initially joining their reserve side in the RFEF Primera Federación.
"Granada Football Club and Rayan Zinebi , a player for Recreativo Granada Club , have reached a renewal agreement until June 30, 2029, with the option to extend for two more seasons depending on different sporting objectives," the official statement read.

#granada #until #real

Three former British athletes were convicted in Morocco as part of an investigation into the **** ual **** ault of a minor by a sprinting coach, BBC Sport can reveal.
The prosecutions led to the imprisonment of Leon Baptiste, a UK Athletics coach and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist for England in the 200m.
Baptiste was originally reported as missing in Morocco in some media articles published on 14 August, before a BBC Sport investigation revealed his conviction and jailing.
Now, court rulings seen by BBC Sport shed more light on other convictions relating to the same case.
Two-time Commonwealth silver medallist hurdler Will Sharman, his brother and ex-bobsleigh athlete Richard Sharman, and fellow former bobsleigh competitor Lamin Deen, who were all on holiday with Baptiste, were convicted of participating in the enticement of a minor.

#commonwealth #former #convicted #minor

Another name is on Roma's radar for the attack.
In recent days, the Giallorossi have inquired about Rocco Vata, the Watford winger who has also been targeted by Bologna.
Ben Jacobs reports that both Italian clubs have made inquiries about the Irishman.
For now, this is an exploratory survey, with Roma continuing to evaluate several options ahead of the final days of the transfer window.
D'Amico thus continues to broaden the scope of possible solutions to complete Gasperini's attacking line. Competition from Bologna is another factor to consider should the Giallorossi decide to explore this option further.

#giallorossi #vata #Watford #jacobs

Borussia Mönchengladbach are heading into the 2026/27 Bundesliga season with renewed optimism. After finishing 12th last season, the club decided to stick with headcoach Eugen Polanski, despite some supporters calling for a change in the dugout.
The decision could prove to be a smart one. Gladbach have enjoyed an outstanding pre-season, strengthened their squad with an interesting group of young players and are set to welcome back one of their most important players in Tim Kleindienst.
There are still major questions to answer, particularly following the departure of former captain Rocco Reitz. But the Foals appear to have taken a step in the right direction.
If results are anything to go by, Gladbach have had one of the most impressive pre-seasons of any Bundesliga club.
The Foals won all eight of their pre-season matches, scoring an incredible 45 goals while conceding just seven.

#bundesliga #players

In an interview on OGC Nice's channels, Moise Bombito (26) has confirmed that he will undergo further surgery on the tibia injury that he suffered at the start of October.
Bombito suffered a broken tibia against AS Monaco at the start of October 2025 and did not return in time to feature again for Nice last season. However, he did make Canada's FIFA World Cup squad and even started in their Round of 16 defeat to Morocco in the competition. He returned to Nice but was not included in the matchday squad to face FC Lorient on the opening matchday of the Ligue 1 season.
That absence could be explained by recurrent pain in his injured tibia. Speaking to Nice's official channels, Bombito said that, at the World Cup, it was "his body fighting against his heart". It was his heart that won, as Bombito did play at his home World Cup, albeit not fully fit, he confirmed. But he is now set for an extended period on the sidelines, after it was confirmed, following tests on Tuesday, that he would undergo another round of surgery on the tibia injury. Nice-Matin understands that he will be out for several months.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

#tibia #confirmed #october

Manchester City signed highly rated teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille on Wednesday, getting a rising star seen as the Premier League giant's long-term replacement for Rodri.
City confirmed the transfer in a statement on its website, saying the 18-year-old Morocco international has signed a five-year-contract. No financial details were given but French sports daily L'Equipe estimated the transfer to be 100 million euros ($117 million).
Bouaddi's arrival follows the departure of 2024 men's Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who recently joined Barcelona after helping Spain win the World Cup.
"This is a very special day for me and my family," Bouaddi said. "I've watched City for many years, and I love their style of play. City always try and play quality football. And they have shown they are winners, this club feels like it's built to win."
The fee makes Bouaddi the most expense player sold from the French league, surpassing the 90 million euros Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal paid to get Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

#city

New Manchester City signing Ayyoub Bouaddi says it is a "dream" to join "the best club in the world".
The 18-year-old Morocco midfielder has moved from Lille in a £85.6m deal and signed a five-year deal with City.
Enzo Maresca's side moved to sign Bouaddi after selling central midfielders Rodri to Barcelona in a £65m deal, Tijjani Reinders to Al-Qadsiah for £52m and agreeing to let Nico Gonzalez join Newcastle in a deal worth up to £52m.
"This is a very special day for me and my family," Bouaddi said on the move.
"Manchester City are, for me, the best club in the world. It's a dream to be here and be able to call myself a City player. I have spent most of my life working hard to become the best player I can be and reach the top of the game.

#city #best

Manchester City have signed teenage Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in a five-year deal the French club said Wednesday was worth 100 million euros (£86 million, $117 million).
City moved for Bouaddi after selling Spain's World Cup winning captain Rodri to Barcelona and Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah, with Nico Gonzalez also poised to leave the Etihad.
The 18-year-old rising star was one of the stand-out players at the recent World Cup, helping Morocco reach the quarter-finals before they were beaten by France.
Bouaddi will join England's Elliot Anderson in City's revamped midfield.
"This is a very special day for me and my family," Bouaddi said in a statement on the City website.

#morocco #year

Man City have signed 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for a few thought to be worth £85.6m with attention now turning to Enzo Fernandez before next Tuesday's deadline.
The Morocco international joins City to bolster Enzo Maresca's midfield, having already signed Elliot Anderson for £116m from Nottingham Forest this summer.
Bouaddi impressed at the World Cup, notably shining against Brazil with the Atlas Lions eventually knocked out by France in the quarter-finals.
"I would say I am a player who plays for the team," Bouaddi declared. "I am a really collective player.
"I try to put my teammate in the best position and to give everything every time for the team. I think the most important aspect is to try to balance the team, [to] help your teammates.

#ayyoub

The first night of high school football had some nail-biting action, with local teams playing some close games, as others were a bit more one-sided.
Conneaut got off to a good start with a 20-13 road win over Cuyahoga Heights.
"We went up 14-0 and it looked like we might [run away]," Conneaut coach Rocco Dobran said.
"We made way too many mistakes," he said of the issues that kept the game close.
Conneaut appears to be developing a balanced office, with multiple receivers and a strong running game led by Dobran's son, Wyant.

#game #cuyahoga #wyant #first

Manchester City have agreed a deal with Lille to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi for €95 million plus another €5m in bonuses. He joins on a five-year contract with the option of another year (h/t Fabrice Hawkins).
Bouaddi won't play today against Angers as he is now set to move to the Premier League. Lille wanted to keep him for another season but have agreed to let him leave now.
The Cityzens needed a holding midfielder to replace Rodri following his departure. They have now turned to the 18-year-old star to provide the ball-winning they will miss.
Bouaddi has played more as a box-to-box midfielder in Ligue 1 but caught the eye at the 2026 World Cup with Morocco operating as a holding midfielder.
His composure on the ball and ability to win it back stood out. City have decided to take the gamble and sign him. He can partner Elliot Anderson in the centre of the park.

#year #lille