Interest in Bouaddi extended beyond his club; both Morocco and France fiercely pursued him.
World Cup winner Olivier Giroud spent the year nudging him to choose France.
But Bouaddi declined.
Although he represented Les Bleus at youth level, he has always taken deep pride in his family’s roots.
To explain his decision to represent Morocco rather than his birth country, Bouaddi shared an old photo on Instagram.
It showed a 10-year-old Bouaddi in a Morocco shirt, watching from the stands at the 2018 World Cup.
“I know what an honor it is to wear these colors, and I’ll give everything to represent my country,” he vowed.
He made good on that promise as Morocco became the first African team to reach consecutive World Cup quarter-finals.
“Against players like Casemiro, Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Guimarães, he showed not just quality but personality — a kind of positive arrogance,” former Morocco international Hassan Kachloul told BBC Sport.
“He exuded confidence, had a great aura and a strong presence on the pitch. He thrives in that environment.”
However, to those who know him best, such as former Creil coach Armand Doue, these performances were nothing unusual.
“He puts in matches like that every weekend in Ligue 1,” he said.