A new promise in Moroccan football recently captured the world’s attention. Gessime Yassine, a talented striker, scored one of the goals that guaranteed the comeback victory over Haiti, in the final round of Group C of the 2026 World Cup. This performance indicates a bright future for the African team.
At 20 years old, the young striker had already been a central figure in winning the U20 World Cup in 2025. In that tournament, he was under the tutelage of Mohamed Ouahbi, the same coach who now leads the main team. Yassine stands out for being the only athlete from that under-20 champion group to be called up for the 2026 World Cup.
His first appearance in a World Cup was against the Haitian team. The player took just twenty minutes on the field to score, leaving his mark in the biggest football tournament on the planet. This initial performance reflects the athlete’s great ambition.
In a previous statement to the Le Dauphine website, the young man expressed his competitive mentality. “I don’t impose limits on myself: my goal is the Ballon d’Or,” he said.
Yassine’s passion for sport precedes even his ability to speak. His mother remembers that, when he was around two and a half years old, he would get eggs from the fridge for her. Then the boy started kicking them around the house, repeating the word “ball”.
In an interview with Le 360 Sport, Gessime’s mother described her son as an extraordinary child. “Gessime has always been an exceptional and kind person. He has always played with a ball since he was little,” he revealed. “He would open the fridge for me, take out the eggs and kick them, saying ‘ball, ball’.”
Yassine himself confirmed these memories to Le Dauphine. “My mother still has videos of me going to the fridge to get eggs and kicking them. I broke them all over the place,” the player admitted.
Although born in France, Yassine, in his 20s, chose to represent Morocco from a young age. He was part of the youth teams and, after excelling in France’s Ligue 2 and the U20 World Cup, signed a contract with Strasbourg at the beginning of this year.
In his first months in the French first division, the athlete participated in nineteen games and recorded one assist. However, his initial performance at the World Cup indicates that he has the potential to deliver much more for both Strasbourg and the national team.