Former Morocco striker Khalid Boutaib announces retirement from football

Khalid Boutaib has officially retired from football, bringing an end to a career that began in amateur football and culminated in representing Morocco at the 2018 World Cup.

The former Morocco international announced his decision in a video posted on his official Instagram account, reflecting on the journey that took him from playing alongside his studies to appearing on football’s biggest stage.

Boutaib said he did not come through one of the major professional academies. Instead, he spent several years in amateur football before receiving his first professional contract at the age of 27.

He credited Gazelec Ajaccio with giving him the opportunity to enter the professional game and play in the French top flight. His career then reached a significant point during his time with Strasbourg, where he enjoyed an exceptional season, scoring 20 goals and winning the French league title.

Boutaib also highlighted his close connection with Strasbourg’s supporters and the city, describing that relationship as one of the most important memories of his career.

The late arrival of his professional opportunity became a source of motivation, he explained, driving him to play each match as though he were trying to make up for the years that had passed before his breakthrough.

That mentality eventually led to his chance with Morocco, an opportunity he regarded as greater than anything he had imagined.

Among his most memorable moments with the national team was scoring three goals against Gabon. That performance helped move him closer to fulfilling his ambition of playing at a World Cup, a dream that became reality at the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Boutaib also recalled scoring against Spain in the World Cup, calling it one of the moments that would remain most firmly etched in his memory. He said the occasion was made even more significant by the fact that Moroccan supporters witnessed it as their team performed in front of a global audience.

At the end of his message, Boutaib thanked his family, friends, coaches and team-mates, as well as the members of the various backroom staffs with whom he had worked.

He also expressed his gratitude to the supporters who had backed him throughout his career before formally confirming that his playing days were over.