Morocco was one of the surprise packages of the 2022 World Cup, making history as the first team from the African continent to reach the semi-finals.
The Atlas Lions have made history for the second straight tournament. However, this time it is for a different reason.
How did Morocco make history at the 2026 World Cup?
In Morocco’s opening game of the 2026 World Cup against Brazil, which finished 1-1, the North African team became the first in the tournament’s 96-year history to field an entire 11 players born outside the country.
This unique moment happened in the 65th minute of the game, as French-born Samir El Mourabet and Belgian-born Chemsdine Talbi replaced Brahim Diaz and Azzedine Ounahi.
Only Casablanca-born Ounahi of the four players was born in Morocco, as Diaz was born in Spain. Talbi and Mourabet joined nine other Moroccan players who were born outside of the north African country, which supplied the World Cup with its unique moment.
It may not be a massive surprise that Morocco has become the first team to field 11 non-native-born players, as only seven of their 26-player squad at the World Cup 2026 were born in the north African country.
Morocco have been successful with its recruitment drive
The Moroccan Football Federation has made a concerted effort in recent decades to find foreign-born players of Moroccan heritage and bring them into the national team fold.
The main countries Morocco has targeted for player recruitment are Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The fact that six of the squad were born in Spain and six in France is likely a factor in their recent success, as both countries have world-class youth football training.
The Spanish-born contingent includes PSG star right-back Achraf Hakimi, who was born in the Spanish capital Madrid to Moroccan parents. He is considered one of the best right-backs in the world.
Real Madrid attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz was born in Malaga, played for Spain at every youth level, and even made a single appearance for the national team. However, he officially switched nationalities in March 2024.
He has proven to be a big hit with the country of his heritage, as he has scored 14 goals in 27 appearances.
Amongst the French-born players are defender Issa Diop and the highly-rated young Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has been linked with big-money moves to some of Europe’s top clubs this summer.
Amongst the squad are also three players born in the Netherlands and three in Belgium. Midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui were born in Belgium, with Bilal El Khannouss, Chemsdine Talbi, and Zakaria El Ouahdi all born in the Netherlands.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was actually born in Canada to Moroccan parents. He and his family moved back to Casablanca when he was just three years of age.
The influx of foreign-born players into the Moroccan squad has certainly improved the quality of the national team. The Atlas Lions’ run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup was the perfect example of their improvement.
Morocco also outplayed Brazil at times in their World Cup opener, and much is expected of the North Africans in the tournament.
Although the majority of the Moroccan national team were born outside the country, it remains a source of great national pride for the citizens of the North African country.
Record number of foreign-born players at the 2026 World Cup
Morocco is not the only country that has utilised players who were not born on the country’s shores. In fact, a record 23.6 per cent of players participating in the World Cup were not born in the country they represent.
Compared to other nations, Morocco’s 19 foreign-born players are not a high figure, as 96 per cent of minnows Curacao’s squad were born outside of the country, with 25 of their squad born in mainland Netherlands.
The only member of their squad born in Curacao was former Manchester United academy product Tahith Chong.
Chong’s substitution in the 82nd minute against Germany meant Curacao also ended the game with 11 foreign-born players. Therefore, it became the second nation to field a team full of foreign-born players for any sequence of time at a World Cup.
Elsewhere, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s squad is 85 per cent foreign-born, with 20 of their 26 players born outside the DR Congo.
Once again, the squad is dominated by European-born players, including five born in France, three in Belgium, and two in England.
A truly World Cup
The fact that so many players represent countries that they were not born in truly makes the World Cup what it is today. Those players give their all for the country of their heritage, just like players who are born and bred, despite not actually being born there.
Bringing in foreign-born players is not always the key to success at World Cups, though, as all of the 2022 winners’ Argentina squad were born in the South American country, while the 2018 winners, France, had just two foreign-born players in their squad.
While some of the big European and South American countries may not rely heavily on foreign-born players, for some less-developed football nations, recruiting foreign-born players can be a route to relative success in major international football tournaments.
