Walid Bouabdelli

Bouabdelli's route to professional football ran through the amateur game in the Grand Est region. He spent three seasons with RC Épernay Champagne before moving on a free transfer to Reims Sainte-Anne in July 2021. It was there, in the 2022/2023 season in National 3, that he made himself impossible to ignore: 22 goals in 28 matches, including outings in the Coupe de France.

That form earned him a trial at AS Nancy Lorraine, and in July 2023 he signed for the club on a free transfer as their fifth summer signing. He has worked his way into a regular first-team role and racked up 101 appearances across all competitions for Nancy. He was part of the squad that won promotion from National to Ligue 2 in 2024, featuring 32 times that season with 4 goals and 6 assists. The following campaign, back in Ligue 2, he made 33 appearances.

Goals have not been the centre of his game at senior level — he has scored 8 for Nancy overall — but he has shown a habit of setting up others, with 10 assists to his name in the same span. One goal stands out: his opener for Nancy came in a 1-0 win over Boulogne on 15 August 2025. This season he has made six appearances in Ligue 2 without finding the net so far.

Right-footed and standing 182 cm tall, Bouabdelli has built his career entirely within French domestic football, without international recognition at any level.