Morocco’s starting lineup against Canada may have closer personal ties to Europe than North Africa. A majority of the squad, in fact, were born in Europe: 18 of 26 players, many from France.
That heritage captures the essence of a 21st century World Cup team — shaped by diaspora scouting, evolved eligibility rules and a more fluid sense of national belonging.
Morocco is far from alone; the tournament has featured scores of teams featuring so-called dual nationals. That includes Canada, a onetime soccer doormat that has leveraged its multiculturalism by explicitly prioritizing the recruitment of dual nationals from across the globe.
Stephen Eustáquio, the Canadian midfielder whose goal against South Africa secured the country’s place in today’s match against Morocco, could have also played for Portugal, which he represented at youth level before declaring his allegiance to Canada.
But few countries have mastered modern roster construction practices like Morocco, a semifinalist in 2022. Historically, top players of Arab and African descent — following decades of migration shaped by colonial empires — reinforced European national teams, which held a disproportionate share of World Cup slots. But this year’s 48-team expansion has altered that dynamic, nearly doubling the number of Asian and African tournament seats.
That, in turn, has offered more options to Europe-based players who either wanted to play for their ancestral nation or saw a clearer path to playing in the World Cup that way. Country switch rules have also eased iteratively since 2004, allowing players to qualify through birthplace, citizenship or heritage and, conditionally, switch countries later in careers.
Talent from European diaspora communities have also been incentivized to consider their heritage teams by the backdrop of ongoing clashes over immigration, integration and Muslim identity across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and beyond.
Morocco’s ascent to the ranks of global footballing powerhouses isn’t staked on foreign recruitment alone. Since 2009, Morocco has invested substantially in domestic soccer infrastructure and training academies, which now complement its European scaffolding.
In some ways, this tournament serves as a hinge for Morocco; it confirms that the team’s 2022 World Cup breakthrough — marked by Madrid-native Achraf Hakimi eliminating Spain in a penalty shootout — was no fluke. And it conveys a more self-assured Moroccan stature, ahead of its status as a 2030 World Cup co-host. Morocco is no longer just a regional football power — it’s a team on shared terms with European heavyweights and a vessel for solidarity across the Maghreb, Arab world, African continent and global Muslim public.
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