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For Yassine Gessime, the young midfielder playing for Dunkerque in France, it all still feels like a wild dream after Morocco took home the U20 World Cup. In an interview with the French outlet L’Équipe, he shared that it was all about the team ‘believing in themselves’ and working together as one unit. Gessime stressed just how much of a long shot it all was.
“Nobody thought we were going to bring the World Cup home,” Gessime said. “I thought it would be difficult, but after the match against Spain, when I saw the team’s mentality, the spirit of the players, and how we defended, I told myself: if we keep that mindset, we can go far.”
Even after lifting that trophy high, Gessime swears he hasn’t let it all go to his head at all. “I’ve stayed the same, I haven’t changed, and I don’t see myself as above anyone else. If I start thinking I’m better than others, I won’t go far. I stay humble and keep working hard to go as far as possible.”
Staying grounded after a historic win
Despite now holding a world championship title, Yassine Gessime says life back at his club hasn’t changed all that much. “My situation hasn’t changed — maybe the expectations are higher, but in the dressing room and with the other players, everything is just like before.”
Morocco’s run to the title — which included a 2–0 win over Argentina in the final — took everyone by surprise and the young Atlas Lions became overnight national heroes. People are still getting excited about their unity and determination.
For the 19-year-old player, the whole experience is something he’ll carry with him forever. “When we came back to Morocco, there were thousands of people waiting for us in Rabat,” he said in earlier comments. “It was incredible — everyone knew our names and nicknames. Those are moments I’ll never forget.”
The U20 win showed that if you believe in yourself and are united with your team, a lot of what can happen. And for Gessim — and all of the Atlas Lions— it’s just the beginning of a long career built on being grounded, working hard, and getting the Moroccan jersey to the top.
Source: map
