Born in France, Ayyoub Bouaddi has been cleared to play for Morocco less than one month before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on Friday confirmed it had received approval from FIFA’s Status Chamber to change Bouaddi’s sporting nationality, making him immediately eligible to represent Morocco in all international competitions.
The FRMF statement added that “this decision makes Ayyoub Bouaddi officially and immediately eligible to represent the Moroccan national team in various international competitions.”.
Bouaddi, 18, plays for French Ligue 1 club Lille and was born to Moroccan parents in Senlis, north of Paris. The midfielder had represented France at the under-21 level before choosing Morocco.
It is worth noting that in the last edition of the mega-event, held in Qatar in 2022, Morocco was the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Meanwhile, the next edition of the FIFA World Cup will be played in the United States (USA), Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
The Atlas Lions start their campaign on June 13 in New Jersey against Brazil in Group C, which also includes Scotland and Haiti.
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