Oualid Ibn Salah is a 16-year-old central midfielder who is currently playing for Mohamed VI Football Academy in the Morocco U17 league. For his club, he has not made any first team appearances, but for the Morocco U17 national team, he has 22 caps and 3 goals. In the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations, he started 4 matches and played 386 minutes. He was also part of the Morocco U17 team that made it to quarter finals in the 2025 U17 World Cup, losing to Brazil.

Standing at 5’8″ with a stocky and compact build, his strong core helps him maintain balance under pressure and win 1v1 duels. He shows decent speed over short distances but lacks that explosive burst to consistently beat opponents or recover against faster runners. His low center of gravity and explosive agility allow him to twist and turn sharply in tight areas in the midfield and also give him an advantage when navigating through compact midfield blocks. Salah shows adequate strength when competing in duels. He can hold his own in the midfield but does not dominate physically and can be outmuscled by more powerful midfielders. His adequate endurance and work rate allow him to complete matches at a good level but can show slight fatigue in the closing stages of high intensity matches. He struggles to compete in aerial duels as he lacks vertical leap and tends to show little effort to compete in aerial duels. Salah shows balanced aggression and is physical when needed. He contributes to pressing and second ball wins but lacks the relentless bite to dominate midfield battles against elite level sides.

Playing as a central/balanced midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 possession-based formation, he would support wide players with link-up play, receive from defenders to distribute, and carry the ball to break lines or create space. Salah positions himself intelligently between centre-backs during build up, offering excellent angles and allowing fullbacks to push high. He constantly adjusts his position to offer clean passing angles, acts as a reliable link, and rarely leaves teammates without options. He has a functional first touch that meets the requirements of the position but can be slightly heavy under pressure. Salah shows reasonable composure and retention but becomes less secure when faced with coordinated presses or physical challenges. He is comfortable playing short combinations, progressive vertical passes and weighted through balls behind defensive lines, and he consistently progresses his team from midfield into the final third. His decision-making is solid as he usually makes the correct choices on ball, but can be predictable or slow in high pressure moments. He is a potent ball carrier with excellent dribbling skills, using quick changes of pace to beat midfield markers and maintains close control at speed.

Out of possession, Salah generally occupies central zones, but he can be caught slightly out of position during quick transitions and can occasionally lose compactness. His anticipation needs improvement. He reacts to obvious threats but lacks the sharpness to consistently read and predict opposition movement patterns. He shows functional compactness and maintains reasonable distances with his backline but lacks the proactive adjustments needed to stay ultra compact against fluid oppositions attacks. He reacts to obvious pressing triggers such as bad touches or back passes but lacks the sharpness to consistently disrupt opposition build up. Salah holds his own in most ground duels, wins a fair share of shoulder-shoulder battles, but can be brushed off against bigger or stronger opponents. He tends to show limited desire when tracking back, leaving large gaps and forcing the back line to cover extra ground.

Salah has proven to be a central midfielder who constantly offers himself as a passing option in the buildup, is highly effective at progressing the ball and creating attacking opportunities, and shows sharp, nimble footwork, allowing him to navigate through compact midfield blocks. With further development in his composure when getting pressed, decision making in high pressure moments, and improving his work rate when defending, he can be a starter for a top team in T6-8 league. He would best fit in a 4-3-3 possession-oriented formation, playing with a holding midfielder and an attacking midfielder.