Yassine Bounou #1

Profile

One of the main characters in Morocco’s deep run at Qatar 2022, Yassine Bounou is a fan favourite. Born in Montreal but raised in Casablanca, “Bono” loves the game and has a special affection for River Plate despite an early soft spot for their rivals. “When I was young I always followed football in South America, particularly Boca Juniors,” he said. His love for River would grow while he was at Atlético Madrid, where Diego Simeone (the former River manager) and Germán “Mono” Burgos (the former River goalkeeper) were in the dugout. Bono has even named his dog “Ariel” in an homage to River’s iconic No 10, Ariel Ortega. After nine years - and nearly 160 La Liga games - in Spain, Bounou moved to Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal in 2023.

Key stats