Rabat, Morocco — Morocco’s national football team has received approval from FIFA to incorporate seven dual-nationality players into its ranks, enhancing its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Notable among the new additions are Fulham’s Issa Diop and Ajax’s Rayane Bounida, both of whom have been selected by head coach Mohamed Ouahbi for upcoming friendlies against Ecuador and Paraguay.
Diop, aged 29, has a background with France’s youth teams, while Bounida is one of six players aged 20 or under who have recently switched allegiance from Belgium or the Netherlands. FIFA regulations allow such switches when players have no senior competitive experience with another nation and have familial ties.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup saw Morocco achieve a historic milestone as Africa’s first semifinalists. The team is scheduled to face Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti in the 2026 tournament, which will be held in the United States. The Moroccan federation, led by Fouzi Lekjaa, has been actively recruiting from its European diaspora, a strategy that has previously yielded key players such as Hakim Ziyech and Sofyan Amrabat.
Since March last year, FIFA has approved 16 eligibility switches to Morocco, including players from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway, reinforcing the team for both the 2026 and the 2030 tournaments, which Morocco will co-host.
Source: arise
