RABAT, Morocco — FIFA has granted Morocco permission to integrate seven dual-nationality players into its national football squad, enhancing the team’s preparation for the 2026 World Cup. Notable among the new additions are Fulham’s Issa Diop and Ajax’s Rayane Bounida, who are set to feature in friendlies against Ecuador and Paraguay under the guidance of coach Mohamed Ouahbi.
Diop, a 29-year-old defender, has a background with the French youth team, while Bounida, one of six players under 20 who recently switched allegiances from Belgium or the Netherlands, joins the Moroccan ranks. FIFA’s regulations permit such transfers when players have not participated in senior competitive matches for another national team and have familial connections.
Morocco, the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals in 2022, is poised to compete against Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti in the 2026 tournament, with matches taking place across the United States. The Moroccan federation, under Fouzi Lekjaa, has been proactive in tapping into its European diaspora, a strategy that has previously yielded talents such as Hakim Ziyech and Sofyan Amrabat.
Since March last year, FIFA has authorized 16 eligibility switches to Morocco, including players from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway, thereby bolstering the team for both the 2026 and the 2030 World Cups, which Morocco will co-host.
Source: arise
