Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riad continues to shine at the World Cup, proving that Barcelona made a mistake selling him. The Moroccan has been outstanding for his nation thus far.
Riad put in a fine display in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland on Saturday morning. It followed an equally influential performance in a 1-1 draw against Brazil in his side’s opener.
The Moroccans’ win came courtesy of Bayern Munich signing Ismael Saibari’s second-minute opener. Mohamed Ouahbi’s men dealt with the Scots superbly well to earn their first win of the tournament.
Riad stars for Morocco again
Riad headed to the World Cup off the back of an eye-catching showing in Palace’s 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final. He has yet to earn a regular starting berth in the Eagles’ defence but he is proving his worth in North America.
That was largely down to an ACL injury he recovered from halfway through the season. He’s now back to his best for club and country.
The 23-year-old joined the South London outfit from Barcelona in the summer of 2024 for £14m. He had failed to gain desired first-team opportunities at Camp Nou.
Riad’s outing against Scotland will have plenty of the La Liga giants’ fanbase questioning the decision to sell him. His exploits didn’t go unnoticed by BarcaTimes, who called it an “amazing performance from the ex-Barca centre-back at the biggest stage.”
Palace don’t need a new centre-back
Unless one of the four central defensive options leaves Palace this summer, there is no reason to splash the cash on a new defender. Riad is one of four centre-backs who are worthy of starting for Sage next season.
Chris Richards is enjoying a fine World Cup campaign with the USMNT, who won their group last night with a 2-0 win against Australia. French duo Maxence Lacroix and Jaydee Canvot partnered Richards for the majority of last season, and the trio were superb.
Bringing an experienced and reasonably priced defender to Selhurst Park could be an option. But spending heavily on a prospect or current starter is unnecessary.
