Yassine Bounou facts for kids
Bounou with Sevilla in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yassine Bounou | ||
| Date of birth | 5 April 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Al Hilal | ||
| Number | 37 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2010 | Wydad Casablanca | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2012 | Wydad Casablanca | 10 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Atlético Madrid B | 47 | (0) |
| 2012–2016 | Atlético Madrid | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | → Real Zaragoza (loan) | 35 | (0) |
| 2016–2020 | Girona | 83 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → Sevilla (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2020–2023 | Sevilla | 90 | (1) |
| 2023– | Al Hilal | 62 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011–2012 | Morocco U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Morocco U23 | 4 | (0) |
| 2013– | Morocco | 74 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 June 2025 (UTC) |
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Yassine Bounou (born April 5, 1991), often called Bono, is a professional footballer from Morocco. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal and the Morocco national team. Many people think Bono is one of the best goalkeepers of his time and one of Africa's greatest ever.
He is known for being very athletic, reacting quickly, and making amazing saves. He spent most of his career at Sevilla FC, where he won the Zamora Trophy for being the best goalkeeper in La Liga. Bono was ranked third for the 2023 Ballon d'Or Yashin Trophy. He also finished third for The Best FIFA Goalkeeper in both 2022 and 2023. In 2022, he was ranked third by the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper. With his national team, he helped Morocco reach fourth place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Bono started his youth career in Morocco with Wydad AC. He played most of his adult career in Spain, appearing in over 150 La Liga matches and more than 50 in the Segunda División. During the 2021–22 season, he won the Zamora Trophy. This was a first for his club, Sevilla.
Bono was born in Canada to Moroccan parents. He moved back to Morocco with his family when he was three years old. He has played for Morocco's national team since 2013. Before that, he played for the under-23 team at the 2012 Olympics. He has also played for his country in two FIFA World Cups and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Yassine Bounou was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. When he was two years old, he moved to Casablanca, Morocco, with his parents. He started playing football on the streets as a child. At age 8, in 1999, he joined Wydad AC. He liked playing with his feet, but because he was tall, someone suggested he try being a goalkeeper. He accepted the challenge. His favorite goalkeeper is Edwin van der Sar.
When he was 17, a scout from OGC Nice noticed his goalkeeping skills. He signed with the club, but due to paperwork problems, he didn't play for Nice. He returned to Wydad AC. In 2011, he played his first senior match for the club.
Starting at Wydad AC
Bono joined Wydad AC's main team in 2010 when he was 19. He was the second-choice goalkeeper. He played his first big match for Wydad AC in front of 80,000 fans. This was the final of the CAF Champions League against Espérance de Tunis.
On November 21, 2011, Bono played his first league match. He played in ten league games before moving to Atlético Madrid.
Time at Atlético Madrid
On June 14, 2012, Bono moved to the Spanish club Atlético Madrid. He first played for their reserve team, Atlético Madrid B, in a lower league. He was also the third-choice goalkeeper for the main team. In May 2013, he signed a new four-year contract. In 2014, he was promoted to the main squad. He played his first game for the main team on July 24, 2014, in a friendly match.
Loan to Zaragoza
On September 1, 2014, Bono was loaned to Real Zaragoza, a team in Spain's second division. He played 16 games that season. In the play-offs, he helped Zaragoza advance by saving goals. He returned to Zaragoza for another loan spell on July 23, 2015.
Playing for Girona
On July 12, 2016, Bounou signed a permanent two-year contract with Girona, another team in the same league. He played half of the games in his first season, helping them get promoted to La Liga. In January 2019, he extended his contract until June 2021.
Success with Sevilla
On September 2, 2019, Bounou joined Sevilla on a one-year loan. He was the second-choice goalkeeper in the league. However, he played regularly in cup games and helped Sevilla win the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League. He was praised for his great saves, including a penalty save against Wolverhampton Wanderers and a key save in the final against Inter Milan.
On September 4, 2020, Bono signed a permanent four-year contract with Sevilla. On March 21, 2021, he scored his first professional goal in the last minute of a match, helping his team get a 1-1 draw. In 2021, Bono kept 32 clean sheets (games where the opponent didn't score) in 59 matches for his club and country. This was the most for any goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues.
On February 27, 2022, Bounou helped set up a goal for his teammate in a match against Real Betis. In April, his contract was extended to 2025. He won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for the 2021–22 season. This made him the first goalkeeper from a club other than Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Atlético Madrid to win it in a long time. He was also nominated for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award in 2022, finishing in second place.
On May 31, 2023, Bono was named Player of the Match in the Europa League final against Roma. He saved two penalty kicks in the shootout, helping Sevilla win their seventh title in the competition. He was again nominated for the 2023 Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award.
Moving to Al-Hilal
On August 17, 2023, Bono joined Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia on a three-year contract. In 2023, Bounou was nominated for the 2023 Ballon d'Or and The 2023 Best FIFA Football Awards. On October 30, 2023, Bounou was ranked 13th in the 2023 Ballon d'Or and 3rd in the 2023 Yashin Trophy. He also won the best goalkeeper in Africa trophy in December 2023.
During the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, he saved a late penalty against Real Madrid, helping his team get a 1-1 draw. In another match, he made 10 saves, including a crucial one-on-one stop, helping Al-Hilal win 4-3 after extra time against Manchester City.
International Career
Bounou could have played for either Canada or Morocco. He chose to play for Morocco. He played for the under-20 team in 2012. He was also part of the under-23 squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Bounou said in an interview that he grew up in Morocco. He always dreamed of playing for the Moroccan national team.
On August 14, 2013, Bounou was called up to the main squad. He made his debut the next day in a friendly match.
In May 2018, Bounou was chosen for Morocco's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He was the reserve goalkeeper. At the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, he was the main goalkeeper. He kept clean sheets in two wins, helping his team reach the last 16.
Bounou also played in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. He gained attention for insisting on speaking Arabic to the press.
On November 10, 2022, Bounou was named in Morocco's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He made two amazing saves in the penalty shootout against Spain. This helped Morocco reach the quarter-finals for the first time ever. They then won 1-0 against Portugal, becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals. He kept four clean sheets in the tournament, which was the most of any goalkeeper. He was the first African goalkeeper to have three clean sheets at a World Cup.
On December 28, 2023, Bounou was selected to represent Morocco at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Personal Life
Bounou was born in Canada to Moroccan parents. Along with his teammates from the national team, Bounou donated his blood to help people affected by the 2023 Marrakesh-Safi earthquake.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wydad AC | 2009–10 | Botola | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Botola | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Botola | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| Atlético Madrid B | 2012–13 | Segunda División B | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 23 | 0 | — | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 47 | 0 | — | — | — | 47 | 0 | |||||
| Atlético Madrid | 2013–14 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zaragoza (loan) | 2014–15 | Segunda División | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Segunda División | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | |||
| Total | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |||
| Girona | 2016–17 | Segunda División | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | La Liga | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | |||
| Total | 83 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 84 | 0 | ||||
| Sevilla (loan) | 2019–20 | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |
| Sevilla | 2020–21 | La Liga | 33 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 1 |
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Sevilla total | 96 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 142 | 1 | ||
| Al Hilal | 2023–24 | Saudi Pro League | 31 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| 2024–25 | Saudi Pro League | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
| Total | 62 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 92 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 333 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 414 | 1 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 74 | 0 | |
Honours and Awards
Wydad AC
- Botola Pro: 2009–10
- CAF Champions League runner-up: 2011
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2013–14
- Supercopa de España: 2014
Sevilla
- UEFA Europa League: 2019–20, 2022–23
- UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 2020, 2023
Al-Hilal
- Saudi Pro League: 2023–24
- King's Cup: 2023–24
- Saudi Super Cup: 2023, 2024
Individual Awards
- La Liga Zamora Trophy: 2021–22
- La Liga Best African Player: 2021–22
- The Best FIFA Goalkeeper: 3rd place in 2022, 3rd place in 2023
- Yashin Trophy: 3rd place in 2023
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2021–22
- UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2019–20, 2022–23
- "Lion d'Or" African Footballer of the Year: 2023
- "Africa d'Or" African Footballer of the Year: 2023
- African Goalkeeper of the Year: 2023
- IFFHS Africa Team of The Year: 2022, 2023
- Saudi Super Cup Best goalkeeper: 2024
- Saudi Pro League Goalkeeper of the Season: 2023–24
- UMFP Best Moroccan goalkeeper abroad: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
- FIFA Club World Cup Team of the Tournament: 2025
Orders
- Order of the Throne: 2022
See also
In Spanish: Bono (futbolista) para niños
