Hakimi leads nine returning Morocco players from Qatar 2022 at World Cup
Key takeaways
- Coach Ouahbi drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe where majority of the 26 players he selected were born.
- Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who was only hired in March, drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe, where the majority of the 26 players he selected were born.
- Ouahbi was himself born in Belgium, while Hakimi and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz are among five players in the squad born in Spain and whose family ties make them eligible for Morocco.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Coach Ouahbi drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe where majority of the 26 players he selected were born.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who was hired only in March, drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe, where the majority of the 26 players he selected were born [File: Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP]By APPublished On 27 May 202627 May 2026Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi was among nine players from Morocco’s history-making 2022 World Cup squad named for the 2026 tournament in North America.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who was only hired in March, drew heavily on the country’s diaspora in Europe, where the majority of the 26 players he selected were born.