FIFA Clears Seven European-Born Players for Morocco’s 2026 World Cup Squad

Morocco has received FIFA approval to include Fulham defender Issa Diop and Ajax midfielder Rayane Bounida among seven dual nationals cleared this month. That brings the total to 16 players switching allegiance to Morocco since last March. Diop, 29, represented France at youth and under-21 level. Bounida, 20, featured for Belgium and the Netherlands in youth fixtures. Each player has direct family ties to Morocco and meets FIFA’s eligibility rules. They join coach Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad for warm-up matches against Ecuador in Madrid and Paraguay in Lens. In the 2026 World Cup draw, Morocco will face Brazil, Scotland and Haiti in New York, Boston and Atlanta respectively. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation, led by Fouzi Lekjaa, has actively recruited talent from its European diaspora. This strategy follows the success of stars like Hakim Ziyech and Sofyan Amrabat, who switched from Netherlands youth teams.

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