Saibari, the 'boy from Terrassa' who took two years to get started shines for Morocco: "We don't know his ceiling"

• ALBERTO RUBIO

Updated 18/06/2026 - 10:55CEST

The draw in the debut between Brazil and Morocco (1-1) served to introduce Ayyoub Bouaddi to the world, but also to elevate Ismael Saibari (Terrassa, 2001), who, barring any surprises, will sign with Bayern for 55 million euros.

The 'all-rounder' from PSV -having played in various midfield roles- was expected to be the substitute for the injured Abde on the left wing. However, he disguised himself as an improvised 'false 9' to score the opener -Vinicius would later equalize- in the 21st minute. He received a great through ball from Brahim Díaz, outran Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes and lobbed Alisson as he rushed out in desperation.

"Good game from the whole team. We keep growing. Happy to score my first goal on my World Cup debut," he simply commented via 'Instagram' as the still PSV player, who, in addition to the goal and his runs, provided countless lay-offs and back-to-goal support and worked hard off the ball.

Good game from the whole team. We keep growing. Happy to score my first goal on my World Cup debut

Ismael Saibari

His career is a 'miracle'. It took him two years to take his first steps due to a congenital malformation. He did so thanks to a special orthopedic device: "It wasn't even about becoming a footballer or anything like that."

In Terrassa, he was born and raised until in 2007, with the onset of the crisis, they emigrated to Belgium. "I would like to live in Spain again one day. I attended part of primary school there and started playing football.** My father transported goods, but he feared losing his job, and although my mother had her own store and baked delicious bread, we couldn't live off that alone," he admitted in 2024 in an interview with 'Algemeen Dagblad.'

I would like to live in Spain again one day. I attended part of primary school there and started playing football

Ismael Saibari

Anderlecht rejected him. "They told me I was too fat," he recalls. Saibari went through Genk before signing for the PSV reserve team in 2020 for 200,000 euros. Roger Schmidt gave him his debut in the Eredivisie at 19 years old, but he didn't fully explode until the 2022-23 season, coinciding with the arrival of Ruud van Nistelrooy, with whom he had already worked in the reserves.

"At that time, he played more on the wing, although he liked to occupy central areas. He is a player with a lot of power, with a great burst of speed, but also with quality. Since his 'debut' against FC Eindhoven, he has shown a different quality," recalls Javier Rabanal, Van Nistelrooy's right-hand man at PSV.

He is a player with a lot of power, with a great burst of speed, but also with quality

Javier Rabanal

His true explosion in goal-scoring has come with Peter Bosz: he finished the season with 19 goals and nine assists in 37 matches. "His overall performance doesn't surprise me because a great potential was evident, but his numbers do. They are surprisingly high," says the Spanish coach, now the manager of Cusco in Peru.

Nothing, however, compares to his burst of speed. "It's top-level. He seems like a player of linear power, but he's not. He can stop and go, change direction, is creative in dribbling... and, from a young age, he sees the goal very clearly," emphasizes Rabanal before highlighting his versatility: "He can play centrally, on the wing, attacking spaces acting as a '9', as he did with Morocco..."

His overall performance doesn't surprise me because a great potential was evident, but his numbers do. They are surprisingly high

Javier Rabanal

Van Nistelrooy's former assistant also emphasizes Saibari's human side: "He spoke perfect Spanish. He is a smiling boy, always in a good mood. He was very positive... and very competitive."
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​Javier Rabanal speaks optimistically about his likely transfer to Bayern: **"It's a big leap, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had an active role if it closes. He will have the opportunity to mature and carve out a place for himself. Being surrounded by top-level players can enhance him. I believe we haven't seen his best version yet; we don't know what his ceiling is. He struggled to learn to walk... but now he only takes giant steps."