Editor’s note: The original December 2022 version of this article was lost. The Lee Daily Register rebuilt it in October 2026 from the sources cited below, and added what happened afterward. The original version named a woman as Bounou’s wife, gave two different birth dates for her and named a child, drawing on social media posts. It also gave salary and net worth figures without a source. We could not confirm any of that in credible reporting, so it is not included here.
Yassine Bounou, the Morocco goalkeeper who wears the name Bono on his shirt, stopped two Spanish penalties this week to send his country into the World Cup quarterfinals.
On Tuesday, Morocco and Spain played 120 minutes without a goal in their round-of-16 match in Qatar. In the shootout, Pablo Sarabia hit the post with Spain’s first kick, and Bounou then stopped Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets. Abdelhamid Sabiri, Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi scored for Morocco, which won the shootout 3-0, NBC 6 South Florida reported.
It is the first time Morocco has reached that stage. The match was also the country’s first World Cup match to go to extra time and its first competitive shootout win. Teammates tossed Bounou into the air after the final kick, NBC New York reported. Morocco faces Portugal on Saturday.
Born in Montreal, raised in Casablanca
Bounou, 31, was born in Montreal, Canada. His family moved back to Casablanca when he was 3, and he joined Wydad Athletic Club, Morocco’s most successful club, at age 8, according to Al Jazeera.
His professional debut came in an unusually high-pressure setting: the second leg of the 2011 African Champions League final against Espérance of Tunisia. Scouts from Atlético Madrid noticed him and offered him a contract, while making clear he would be third in line behind Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak.
Loan spells at Real Zaragoza and a move to Girona, where he helped win promotion to La Liga, followed. He then joined Sevilla. Across 2021, counting club and country, he kept 32 clean sheets in 59 matches, more than any other goalkeeper in Europe, Al Jazeera reported.
At this tournament, Morocco has given up just one goal, an own goal against Canada.
What about his wife and family?
The news coverage cited in this article focused on his football and did not report on a marriage or children. Names and birth dates circulating online come from social media accounts and unsourced websites, and The Lee Daily Register has not been able to confirm them.
What he has said publicly is about responsibility. In an interview with Moroccan channel M24TV before the tournament, he said players represent Morocco abroad and should set a good example for children who hope to follow them, Al Jazeera reported.
What happened next
On Dec. 10, Morocco beat Portugal 1-0 on a 42nd-minute header by Youssef En-Nesyri, becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal, the Oman Observer reported. Bounou saved an early diving header from João Félix in that match.
The run ended against defending champion France, which won the semifinal 2-0 on Dec. 14 at Al Bayt Stadium, TimesLIVE reported. Croatia then beat Morocco 2-1 in the third-place match on Dec. 17, leaving Morocco fourth, VOA reported.
In August 2023, Bounou left Sevilla for Saudi club Al-Hilal on a three-year contract. The fee was not disclosed, though Spanish media reported it at 21 million euros, according to Reuters, as published by FBC News. Reuters noted he had helped Sevilla win two Europa League titles.
