In a tournament were not too many goalkeepers have shined above the others, Yassine Bono is one of the few that really has shown a top form throughout the 2026 World Cup. The guy, at times, looks unbeatable as France have come to know in this matchup. In fact, Mbappe joined Karim Benzema in an unwanted World Cup list with this penalty miss.

Bono, in the first half alone, already had four world-class saves and is the only reason why France haven’t been able to score. However, it’s also an alert on Morocco, that have been dominated and are needing their goalkeeper to play Superman to not go down. What it’s clear is that Bono will definitely have a say on whether France win, tie, or lose to Morocco.

Bono is not afraid of the big stage

While Bono didn’t win the Golden Glove in the 2022 World Cup (losing to Emiliano Martinez who won the tournament), Bono arguably was the best GK in that tournament. Martinez had clutch moments, but overall, Bono was the rising star.

Then, in the 2025 Club World Cup, Bono once again shone for Al Hilal. Now, in 2026, Morocco are relying once again on Bono to make miracles. Bono is also elite when it comes to saving penalties as a whole, as proven in the Round of 32 vs. the Netherlands. Simply put, Bono is one of the globe’s best shot-stoppers.

Mbappe’s record taking penalties

Mbappe is an average penalty shooter. Per OptaJoe, the average effectiveness of penalty shooters is between 78% and 82%. Mbappe has taken 81 penalties (excluding shootouts), missing 16 and scoring 65. Hence, Mbappe has an 80.25% of effectiveness while shooting pens.

However, prior to this one saved by Bono, Mbappe was on a nine-scored-penalty streak. That includes one vs. Paraguay in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. Mbappe is also looking at the Golden Boot of this World Cup, where he trails Messi by one goal.

Though deeply tied to North Africa, he was born in Canada, making him one of the Morocco players born overseas playing in the 2026 World Cup. His journey shows how global modern soccer has become, where elite athletes find great success representing their ancestral homelands.

He chose to represent his family’s heritage early on, which completely shaped his path as a prominent figure in African football. His physical presence makes him a constant threat to opposing forwards who try to challenge him in the air during set pieces.

Age and height

To look closer at his personal background, the star netminder was specifically born in Montreal and is currently 35 years old. Despite his North American roots, he never played for any Canada national team youth squads during his formative development years.

His professional journey also took a distinct path, as he officially debuted as a pro outside Canada to make his name in club football. Physically, his height stands at an impressive 193cm (6-4), which provides him with an incredible reach when diving for tough saves.

Career highlights and stats

His club trajectory features experience in Spain with clubs like Sevilla and Girona before moving to Al Hilal to continue his stellar career. According to the data from FootyStats, his current stats in the 2026 World Cup highlight his defensive contributions. He has managed to secure 1 clean sheet while facing 10 shots and making 6 saves so far.

These performances are especially meaningful because this is the first World Cup where he is the starting keeper for Morocco. The team relies heavily on his extensive experience and steady leadership to anchor the defensive unit from the back line.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid are talking to Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou AKA Bono. The 32-year-old Moroccan international has played his whole career in Spain and has done very well in LaLiga and most notably the FIFA World Cup.

Romano stated on an Instagram live that Real Madrid has a few options, but that Yassine Bounou was on top of the list.

Yassine Bounou to Real Madrid?

While David De Gea may be a free transfer the goalkeeper is heavily associated with Atlético Madrid, while Bono, who also began his career at Atlético Madrid, is more associated with Sevilla, where he spent most of his career.

Bono has two more seasons on his Sevilla contract, but Real Madrid is willing to pay a transfer fee on a top goalkeeper that could still have sale value when Thibaut Courtois returns to full fitness.

After breaking in with Atlético Madrid’s reserve side, Bounou would eventually play for Zaragoza, Girona, and now starting currently for Sevilla.

So how does a Moroccan goalkeeper born in Canada playing in LaLiga become a die-hard supporter of River Plate in Argentina? The story is an amazing one.

Yassine Bounou – River Plate fan

Yassine Bounou’s first ever soccer jersey was an Argentina national team kit, his admiration for Argentine soccer turned him into a River Plate fan, where he would eventually come to idolize former playmaker and Argentina World Cup veteran Ariel Ortega.

Bounou’s fandom for Argentine soccer’s all-time winningest club knew no limits as he’d eventually become a member of the Moroccan supporters’ club of River Plate and even traveled to see River win the Copa Libertadores against Boca Juniors in Madrid in 2018.

At Atlético Madrid, one of Diego Simeone’s assistants was legendary River Plate goalkeeper German Burgos, who worked with Bounou and told him about his experiences as River Plate’s number 1. Bounou even traveled to Japan to watch River Plate participate in the Club World Cup the year they defeated Boca Juniors.

Recently Argentine journalist Javier Gil Navarro was able to get the Morocco number 1 a signed Ariel Ortega jersey and a video message from his idol. Bounou was ecstatic, and now the video has gone viral.