Morocco received FIFA authorization to include Fulham defender Issa Diop and Ajax midfielder Rayane Bounida among seven players acquired this month by the 2022 World Cup semifinalist in preparation for the upcoming tournament in North America, totaling 16 players since last March.
The 29-year-old Diop previously represented France at youth and under-21 levels, while Bounida is one of six players aged 20 or younger altering their eligibility this month to play for Morocco after participating in youth matches for Belgium or the Netherlands.
All players have direct familial connections to Morocco, which permits them under FIFA regulations to modify their national eligibility, generally applicable when players have not competed in a senior official match for the first country they represented.
Diop and Bounida are included in the squad of new coach Mohamed Ouahbi for World Cup warmup matches against Ecuador on Friday in Madrid, and Paraguay on Tuesday in Lens, France.
In the 2026 World Cup, Morocco is grouped with Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti, with matches scheduled near New York, Boston, and Atlanta, respectively.
Morocco secures direct entry to the 2030 tournament as a co-host alongside Spain and Portugal, with additional matches to be held in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The Moroccan federation, led by Fouzi Lekjaa, who is becoming a more prominent figure in soccer politics, has been proactive in recruiting players from the European diaspora.
The squad that made history in Qatar as the first African semifinalist featured stars like Hakim Ziyech and Sofyan Amrabat, both of whom had previously played for the Netherlands at youth levels.
The eligibility modifications approved by FIFA in March include Bounida and Genk midfielder Saif Eddien Lazar, who had represented Belgium.
Players transitioning to Morocco from the Netherlands include Benjamin Khaderi and Sami Bouhoudane, both 18 and from PSV Eindhoven, 20-year-old Utrecht defender Oualid Agougil, and 18-year-old Ayoud Ouarghi from Feyenoord.
FIFA also sanctioned nine additional players changing their eligibility from March to December of last year, hailing from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway.
