Numbers That Shatter Every Expectation
8 goals and 4 assists in 34 Jupiler Pro League appearances. That is not the season of a right-back — it is the season of a footballer who refuses to be defined by his position.
Add 4 more goals and 1 assist across 10 UEFA Europa League outings, and Zakaria El Ouahdi finishes 2025/26 with 12 goals and 5 assists across all club competitions — figures that would make an attacking midfielder proud in most countries, let alone a 171 cm full-back.
Antwerp Roots, Red-and-Green Soul
Born in Antwerp on 31 December 2001, El Ouahdi is one of those beautiful stories the Moroccan diaspora keeps writing — a son of Morocco, raised in Belgium, now wearing the number 13 shirt for the national team with everything to prove and the talent to prove it.
This season brought his first appearance for Morocco in a friendly, a first step that reflects the genuine curiosity building around a player whose club form has been impossible to ignore.
The 2026 Cycle Has a New Name to Watch
At 24, El Ouahdi sits at precisely the age where domestic standouts either make the leap to reliable international contributors — or wait another cycle wondering what might have been.
His profile is as intriguing as it is rare: compact at 171 cm, supremely comfortable in advanced positions, and consistently dangerous in front of goal by any standard for a defender. As the 2026 World Cup cycle deepens, the raw output this season makes a compelling case for greater involvement with the national team.
The numbers have already made the argument. Now the stage gets bigger — and something tells us Zakaria El Ouahdi is only just getting started. Dima Maghrib!