🇫🇷🇲🇦| This French player with Moroccan roots named Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is only 𝟭𝟲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗹𝗱 and has insane 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮, deserves more hype as he plays at a professional level at this young age. —>✨ 𝐀𝐲𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐛 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢 ✨ (ANALYSIS)🧵🧶

Shoutout to Australia for that performance. Let’s be honest, half of Turkey was already planning the afterparty before kickoff. Then the Socceroos turned up and completely flipped the script. The defending was unbelievable, blocking shots, winning every 50/50, and just refusing to let Turkey get into any kind of flow. They didn't create a ton going forward, but they didn't need to. Football isn’t always about dominating the ball, sometimes it’s just about being clinical, making your opponent uncomfortable, and finding a way to grind out a result. Turkey can't put their heads down yet since there's still time to turn it around, but the pressure on their next two games is huge now. Zero room for mistakes. Meanwhile, Australia have set themselves up perfectly to get out of the group. This group just got way more interesting. Huge respect to Australia. 🇦🇺

How good was Bilal El Khannouss defensively today? People who follow my account already know how highly I rate him as a technical footballer. His ability on the ball has never been in question. But who says he can’t do the dirty work as well? Today was genuinely a 10/10 defensive performance. Constantly tracking back, constantly helping his teammates, constantly throwing himself into duels. Every time his team needed defensive support, he seemed to be there. He actively impacted the game through his defensive work. Won duels, recovered possession and showed a level of commitment that doesn’t always get associated with players of his profile. The funny thing is that defensive performances aren’t even what he’s known for. Most people talk about his creativity, his technical quality, his ability to break lines and decide games in possession. And he still gave us flashes of that today as well. But for me, the defensive side was the real story. A complete midfielder. A player heading straight to the top.

Not starting Johan Manzambi after the season he’s had was criminal enough. In the end, they got what they deserved.

Okay wow. Not surprising, but seeing Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart linked with Bilal Nadir definitely caught my attention. I’ve wanted to tweet about him for a while but never got around to it. What I really like about Nadir is his ability to manipulate defenders through body feints and changes of direction. It’s not always the smoothest execution yet, but the intention and technical foundation are clearly there. He consistently finds ways to create separation and access new passing or carrying lanes. The versatility is what makes him such an intriguing profile. Can operate as a CM, CAM or from the right wing, giving coaches multiple ways to integrate him into different structures. When deployed wide, his left foot becomes a serious weapon. Delivers dangerous crosses with very little backlift and excellent technique. The type of player who can create chances from seemingly harmless situations. From central areas, I also like his vision. Frequently scans before receiving and has the ability to play progressive vertical passes or longer diagonals that immediately put teammates into advantageous positions. A creative profile who combines positional flexibility, technical quality and chance creation. Still only 22 years old. Available on a free transfer. No surprise clubs are paying attention. Definitely a player worth taking a closer look at.

Tyler Adams. The unsung hero in the USA’s win against Paraguay. Not the player who’ll grab the headlines, but for me he was one of the most important players on the pitch. Constantly directing teammates, pointing out spaces, organizing positioning and communicating throughout the game. You could see his influence everywhere. With the ball, he helped control the rhythm and gave the USA stability during different phases of possession. Without it, he did all the dirty work. Covered spaces, attacked duels, won second balls and constantly put himself in situations where he could help his teammates defensively. What I also liked was his willingness to progress play. Not just a destroyer. Used carries, dribbles and forward passes into the final third to help the USA gain territory and move attacks forward. The type of midfielder whose influence often goes unnoticed because so much of his value comes from making the team function properly. Been a huge admirer of him since his RB Leipzig days. A leader. A competitor. And once again, the unsung hero.

Stephen Eustaquio is still such a good player. Honestly, it amazes me that he’s playing in MLS because I genuinely believe he has the quality to play in one of Europe’s top 5 leagues. Against Bosnia, he looked like the most mature player on the pitch for Canada. Everything he did felt calculated. Always composed, always making the right decision and constantly helping his team maintain structure in and out of possession. You can see immediately why he’s the captain. Such a complete midfield profile. Can progress play through carries, win duels, do the dirty work defensively, dictate tempo and then suddenly produce a line-breaking or final pass when the opportunity presents itself. Rarely forces actions, understands when to accelerate play and when to slow it down. The type of midfielder every coach loves because he improves the balance of the entire team. Genuinely a quality player. One of Canada’s most important players and still massively underrated in my opinion.

Why didn’t Ali Ahmed start? Thought he was one of Canada’s most dangerous players when he came off the bench against Bosnia. The moment he entered the game, a lot of Canada’s attacking play started flowing through the right side. Brought energy, directness and a level of unpredictability that was missing at times before. Explosive first steps, aggressive attacking intent and the ability to generate space through individual actions. Every time he received facing forward, it felt like something could happen. The final ball wasn’t always there. Some of the decisive passes lacked precision and a few promising situations could have been executed better. But getting into those situations repeatedly is already a positive sign. He brought chaos, progression and threat. Would definitely love to see more of him as this tournament goes on.

From Fulham Academy to the biggest stage in world football. Luc de Fougerolles had a really solid game for Canada against Bosnia tonight. The 20-year-old centre-back, currently on loan at Dender in Belgium, looked far more composed than his age would suggest. Defensively, he put together a clean performance. Cleared his lines well, anticipated danger on several occasions and made some important ball recoveries through good reading of the game. There were multiple situations where Bosnia tried to press him, but he managed to escape through carries. I also liked how his confidence grew as the match progressed. The longer the game went on, the more responsibility he took in possession. Started to actively participate in the build-up phase and played a few progressive line-breaking passes that helped Canada advance through the thirds. Physically, there are still areas to improve. There were moments where he got outmuscled a bit too easily or struggled to fully impose himself in certain duel situations. But overall? Definitely not a poor performance. Quite the opposite. A composed showing on a big stage from a young centre-back still developing his game. He deserves some recognition tonight.

One player I didn’t know much about before this World Cup but who immediately caught my eye was Roberto Alvarado. Really enjoyed watching him yesterday. Looked extremely comfortable in possession and a lot of Mexico’s attacking sequences seemed to flow through his side. Constantly provided an outlet and looked confident receiving under pressure. Clean first touch, strong close control and very tidy ball manipulation in tight spaces. Handled long diagonal switches very well and consistently turned difficult receptions into advantages for his team. Also showed good carrying ability. Able to progress play through dribbles and maintain control, which helped Mexico sustain attacks. For me, he was probably Mexico’s most impressive player in the first half. Then in the second half he capped off a strong performance with the assist for Raul Jimenez’s goal. This is exactly why I love the World Cup. You get to see players you wouldn’t normally watch every week. Roberto Alvarado is definitely one of those players for me.

Raul Jimenez. 35 years old. Still got it. Scored in the World Cup opener for Mexico and put in a good all-round performance. What I always appreciated about Jiménez is that he was never just a goalscorer. Even at this stage of his career, you can still see the intelligence in his movement, his link-up play and the way he helps bring others into the game. One of those strikers whose impact often goes beyond the numbers. After everything he’s been through in his career, seeing him still perform on the international stage is great to watch. A true Mexican football legend. Respect.

Why is nobody really talking about Xaver Schlager? He’s available on a free transfer this summer and honestly, I’d have expected clubs to be all over that opportunity by now. Yes, he had to overcome a serious injury, but he’s still managed to play 32 games this season and has shown plenty of signs that the quality is still there. Such a complete midfield profile. Can operate across both boxes, progress play through carries, cover ground defensively, win duels, support attacks and bring intensity to every phase of the game. The kind of midfielder who improves multiple aspects of a team at once. What I always liked about Schlager is that he combines physicality with football intelligence. He can do the dirty work, but he’s also capable of advancing possession and contributing in more complex phases of play. A real all-action midfielder. And it’s not just me saying it. His teammate Christoph Baumgartner once said: “When he’s fit, he’s one of the best No. 6s in the world.” That’s obviously high praise, but it tells you how highly he’s rated by people who see him every day. A top player in my opinion. Very curious to see where he ends up.

Wow. I’m genuinely excited about this move. TSG Hoffenheim have just signed one of the most underrated LB prospects on the market: Mats Rots. Not a name that gets talked about enough, but the potential has always been obvious to me. First came across him during the UEFA U19 European Championship and he immediately stood out. Tall frame, long limbs, but surprisingly refined technically. Usually players with that body type need time to coordinate their movements. Not Rots. For a full-back, his technical security is outstanding. Very clean first touch, excellent ball manipulation and rarely loses control. Constantly progresses territory through carries from deeper zones and looks comfortable driving into space when opponents fail to engage. What I love most, though, is his final-third decision-making. Doesn’t just arrive in advanced areas for the sake of it. Understands timing, understands spacing and consistently finds teammates with the correct weight and precision on his passes. Frequently attacks inside channels and half-spaces rather than hugging the touchline. From those positions he can either accelerate down the outside, combine centrally or deliver dangerous square balls into high-value zones. A very modern full-back profile. Technical quality, progression ability, positional flexibility and strong attacking instincts. The move to the Bundesliga feels like the logical next step in his development. Not only is he joining one of the strongest leagues in the world, but also a club that has shown a clear willingness to invest in young talent and continue its upward trajectory. I’ve rated Mats Rots highly for a while. Very curious to see how far he can go.

Recently saw that Ali Maamar has been called up to the Moroccan national team. A player I remember watching in an Anderlecht game some time ago and one that immediately caught my attention. In the match I watched, he played as a left-back and looked extremely promising. Defensively, he showed a very solid foundation. Good positional discipline, strong defensive awareness and a consistently aggressive approach when engaging opponents. The type of defender who doesn’t allow attackers much comfort in his zone. What stood out even more, though, was his contribution in possession. As a right-footed player operating from the left side, he constantly had the entire pitch in front of him when receiving deeper. This allowed him to scan, assess options and become a real build-up facilitator. A lot of his value came through progressive actions. Whether it was vertical line-breaking passes or press-resistant ball carries, he repeatedly helped his team advance territory and escape pressure. Looked very comfortable taking responsibility during the build-up phase and never seemed afraid of receiving under pressure. Born and developed in Belgium but chose to represent Morocco internationally. Already a U20 World Cup winner with Morocco and now receiving a senior national team call-up. A very interesting profile with modern full-back qualities. Definitely a player worth keeping an eye on.

Randomly thought about Mika Biereth today because I’ve never actually tweeted about him before. People are way too quick to write off young strikers. Yes, only 5 goals this season. But the underlying qualities are still very special and his impact goes far beyond pure goalscoring output. One of the best parts of his game is his ability to function as a reference point. Exceptional at receiving with his back to goal, securing possession and creating platforms for teammates to attack from. His lay-off play is genuinely elite for a young striker. Constantly finds the correct weight on his passes and has the technical quality to connect attacks with one-touch combinations under pressure. Generates a huge amount of value through his hold-up ability. Shields the ball extremely well, withstands contact, wins fouls and buys valuable time for teammates to arrive around him. The technical level is 😮‍💨. Whether it’s layoffs, wall passes, first-time combinations or redirecting possession into better zones, he consistently executes actions cleanly. Also think his finishing package is underrated. Seen him produce some very difficult one-touch finishes and quick-release shots that many forwards simply don’t have in their repertoire. Not every striker develops in a straight line. The goals haven’t fully reflected the talent this season, but the tools are still there. A lot of them. Definitely not a player I’d be giving up on. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if he comes back much stronger.