If the year 2024 saw the arrival of dual nationals within the national team such as Brahim Diaz and Eliesse Ben Seghir, that of 2025 will also be decisive for other players with dual nationality such as Ayyoub Bouaddi, Zakaria El Ouahdi or even Neil El Aynaoui, who will have to decide, while places become more and more expensive within the Moroccan selection.
Will Walid Regragui welcome new faces to his team, mainly made up of dual nationals? In recent years, Morocco, thanks to the in-depth work of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and scouts across Europe, has hunted down numerous talents from France, the Netherlands, Belgium and even Spain which notably lost Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Chadi Riad, Ilias Akhomach and more recently Brahim Diaz.
A work which will not stop in 2025, since several players promising a good career are in the crosshairs of the Moroccan body. They still have the opportunity to make a choice that could change their future.
This is the case of the one who has been talked about since the start of his season. Ayoub Bouaddi, only 17 years old, who is already shining at Lille, attracting the attention of the biggest European clubs, including more recently Arsenal.
In 2023, the young player broke a record by becoming the youngest player to play in a European club competition match, making his debut at 16 years and 3 days old.
The French-Moroccan has added to his Champions League experience this season, making five appearances in the competition, no mean feat given his young age.
Bouaddi has been selected several times by the French Football Federation (FFF) and has participated in international competitions under French colors, which demonstrates his integration into the national training system.
In this sense, those responsible for the French technical management are also putting strong pressure on Bouaddi to stay with the Blues. They also try to influence his club, Lille, knowing well the capacity of the Moroccan Federation to convince binational talents, in a context marked by the notable development of Moroccan football, particularly at the level of national selections.
Indeed, Morocco would already be a step ahead of the file since the FRMF has already succeeded in obtaining the Moroccan national identity card for Bouaddi.
The next step is obtaining your Moroccan passport, in order to change your sporting nationality from French to Moroccan.
As long as he has not played an official senior team match with France, Bouaddi can still opt for Morocco if he wishes. This choice could depend on several factors, including the prospects for development within the two national teams, his personal attachment and the opportunities offered.
Neil El Ayanoui, following in his father’s footsteps?
Still in France, it is Neil El Aynaoui who faces a dilemma. Represent the country where he saw the blossoming of the exceptional career of his father, Younès El Aynaoui, Moroccan tennis star, or choose to side with the country in which he learned to play football.
The midfielder, playing at RC Lens, is at a decisive turning point in his international career after having already represented Morocco in the U23 category.
Although he was tipped to join the Atlas Lions during the March 2024 international break, the 24-year-old chose to take a “reflection time” before committing definitively to Morocco.
But this time for reflection will have to stop in 2025, since Walid Regragui sent a strong message to the young player a few months ago, inviting him to quickly decide before he makes the decision for him.
Zakaria El Ouahdi, the heart or the reason?
On the Belgian side, bets are on for Zakaria El Ouahdi. Although he has represented Morocco at under-23 level, recent discussions suggest he may consider changing his sporting nationality to represent Belgium who are openly flirting with him, hinting at an upcoming arrival.
However, nothing is decided yet since the father of the Genk player had firmly reacted to the rumors, indicating that the final decision has not yet been made.
The main person concerned continues to express his love for the Atlas Lions, but wants to put all the chances on his side, saying he is open to the Red Devils.
In summary, the international future of Zakaria El Ouahdi remains uncertain, shared between Morocco and Belgium. A final decision regarding his sporting nationality is expected to be made this year.
Morocco, a nation that has become, in a few years, privileged for dual nationals
The assumption that has always been put forward is that representing a European nation provides a better platform to compete at the highest international level.
Yet one of the lasting legacies of Morocco’s success will surely be to inspire more emerging talents of Arab and African descent across the world to represent their home countries.
These players, often trained from a young age in the world’s best football academies, have a positive impact on the overall quality of their national teams, indirectly benefiting their compatriots playing in the national leagues.
The epic tale of the Moroccan selection in the 2022 World Cup, during which it managed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in its history, is an example of this.
Indeed, the coach of the Atlas Lions, Walid Regragui, showed that with the same opportunities as European teams, they can tactically face the best nations in the world on the biggest stage.
Morocco’s unexpected progression to the World Cup semi-finals can be attributed in part to a policy of deliberately seeking talent from within the diaspora to strengthen the national team and give it a better chance of success.
More than half of the Moroccan team was born abroad, offering an eclectic mix of players from growing migrant communities across Europe who have helped them innovate and make Sherifian football shine internationally.
In 2025, Morocco will therefore continue its momentum of creating a positive dynamic by establishing early contacts, offering exceptional conditions and developing continuity between the youth categories and the national team. This has resulted in notable successes, further cementing Morocco’s position as a go-to option for many dual-national players, with promising prospects for the future.
